Tom Izzo opened up one of Michigan State basketball’s most important recruiting weekends on Thursday afternoon, and he did it in classic Spartan fashion: with former players back on campus, current players around the program, and two major prospects in the mix.
The weekend brought together a long list of Michigan State names from different eras, with Draymond Green, Kalin Lucas, Brandon Wood, Zach Randolph, Travis Walton, Korie Lucious, Chris Allen, Branden Dawson, Jaden Akins and Max Christie all returning to spend time with the team and help out with recruiting. For Izzo, this is the annual heavy lift - the biggest recruiting weekend of the year.
The headliners on the visit list are Antonio Pemberton and Jaydn Jenkins, a pair of prospects who sit near the top of Michigan State’s board. Both hold offers from the Spartans, and landing even one would make the weekend a success. If both were to eventually choose Michigan State, it would give Izzo a strong start to the class.
Pemberton has become a popular name among Spartan fans, especially for those looking at point guard options. He’s a five-star recruit and the No. 23 prospect in the country. Michigan State sees him as a potential continuation of the program’s run of elite point guard play after Jeremy Fears Jr. and Carlos Medlock Jr., and he could form an elite backcourt duo with Mateen Cleaves Jr. if he’s still around in 2028.
Jenkins, meanwhile, is a four-star in the 2027 class and comes in as the No. 60 player nationally and the No. 8 center in the country. He’s one of several big men on Izzo’s board, though he may sit at the top of that list. Izzo also recently checked in with Kamsi Awaka.
This isn’t unfamiliar territory for Michigan State. Grind Week has already produced commitments before, including Jasiah Jervis, who visited last year and made his Spartan pledge official a couple of months later. Jase Richardson also ended up committing after a Grind Week visit, despite a push that suggested he might be headed elsewhere.
Izzo has made a habit of using this weekend to push hard for top targets, and this year’s group fits the pattern. It’s a big one for Michigan State.
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