Michigan State’s roster-building formula still has plenty of believers, and this incoming group is a big reason why.
The Spartans have reached the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament in back-to-back seasons, and now the bar is higher. The target is clear: get past that hurdle and push toward the 2027 Final Four at Ford Field in Detroit.
With five new scholarship players joining the mix, the question isn’t whether Michigan State added talent. It’s how quickly that talent can matter.
At the bottom of the impact rankings sits Julius Avent, though that says more about the depth around him than any lack of promise. The 6-foot-7 freshman is ranked 89th overall in the class of 2026, per the 247Sports Composite, and he has shown well during the Moneyball Pro-Am.
Even so, the path to minutes looks crowded. Avent can play both small forward and power forward, but Michigan State already has Coen Carr, Kaleb Glenn and Jordan Scott at the three, with Carr and Glenn also able to slide to the four.
Jesse McCulloch adds another body in that frontcourt mix. Avent has a bright future, and his play at Holt High School over the past few weeks has stood out, but getting real minutes later in the season figures to be a tough climb.
Ethan Taylor comes next, and his ceiling is obvious. Michigan State had to beat out Kansas and other major programs to land him, and the 7-foot-1 big man looks every bit the part of a high-four-star, borderline five-star recruit.
He passes well for his size and moves smoothly, but he is not walking in as a finished product. Taylor will have to battle McCulloch to hold down the No. 2 spot at center behind Anton Bonke.
There was at least some encouragement in how the Moneyball Pro-Am teams were arranged, with Taylor paired with Jeremy Fears Jr. on Team LAFCU and McCulloch alongside Carr on Team Tri-Star Trust.
Carlos Medlock Jr. might be the most fun newcomer to watch right now. The local guard, who previously played at Wayne Memorial High School before spending a season with Taylor at Link Academy in Missouri, brings a different kind of punch to the backcourt.
The issue is fit: Medlock is a point guard, and so is Fears. That makes his route to heavy minutes complicated, especially with Fears likely to command 30-32 minutes a game and maybe more once March arrives.
Still, Medlock has enough scoring ability to make an impact in whatever time he gets. He gives Michigan State a true change of pace at the position, with Fears as the pass-first option and Medlock as the score-first answer.
The top two are close, but Jasiah Jervis has a real case to become the best newcomer of the bunch. He is the highest-rated freshman in the class, sitting 32nd overall on the 247Sports Composite, and a starting job at shooting guard right away would not be shocking.
Michigan State has not had a true freshman start in Game 1 since Max Christie, but Jervis is the program’s highest-rated guard since Christie, too. If Scott or Kur Teng gets the first crack at the two, Jervis still looks like the kind of player who could force his way into the conversation quickly.
His offensive versatility should fit well next to Fears, especially after Michigan State lacked that kind of flexibility at shooting guard last season.
Anton Bonke is the one at the top, and for good reason. He is the only sure starter among the newcomers, and he arrived at a spot Michigan State badly needed to fill.
Before the uncertainty around Fears and the NBA Draft became a concern, the biggest offseason question was simple: “What center will MSU get in the transfer portal?” Bonke was the answer, but that also puts a lot on his shoulders.
The center group is still unproven behind him, with Taylor yet to play a live college game and McCulloch still trying to lock down a regular role after being out of the rotation late last season. Bonke is not a fully proven commodity himself, either, having played mostly mid-major competition at Charlotte last season after being out of the regular rotation at Providence the year before.
But his adjustment to Big Ten play may end up being one of the biggest factors in whether Michigan State looks like a true national contender.
In Other News...
Tom Izzo May Have Found MSU's Frontcourt Answer Or Another March Worry
Michigan State spent the offseason reworking its frontcourt after the departures of Jaxon Kohler and Carson Cooper, and Tom Izzo appears to have added size in response. Ethan Taylor and Anton Bonke arrive as the newest options inside, giving the Spartans a different look in a part of the roster that needed reinforcements. For a program that lives on physical play and late-season toughness, how quickly those pieces settle in could matter a lot.
Taylor is expected to be part of the rotation rather than an immediate starter, while Bonke brings the kind of traditional big-man profile that can change the feel of a game if it translates to Big Ten play. The upside is obvious: Michigan State may have found answers for a frontcourt that needed them. The concern is just as clear, because if the adjustment period drags on, the Spartans could still be searching for a true replacement when the games get bigger. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan State Suddenly Has Real Momentum With A Rising 4-Star Guard
Joshua Tysons path has taken a familiar route for Michigan State fans watching the recruiting board. The four-star combo guard has moved from Lakota West in Ohio to La Lumiere in Indiana, a prep program that has sent plenty of prospects toward East Lansing over the years. Tyson also recently made an unofficial visit to Michigan State, where Tom Izzo extended an offer and added another name to the long list of guards the Spartans are trying to line up for the future.
The next step is already on the calendar, and it gives Michigan State a real chance to deepen the relationship after that first visit. Tyson is planning an official trip, and the Spartans are in the thick of the race with schools like Xavier and Ohio State, which makes every impression matter a little more. There is also a useful wrinkle at La Lumiere, where Tyson will be teaming with fellow Michigan State target Kingston Thomas, giving the Spartans another layer to sell as they try to turn early momentum into a commitment. [Read more 🡒]