Tom Izzo and Michigan State have found themselves some gems in the 2026 recruiting class.
The Spartans have a top-five class in 2026, led by Jasiah Jervis, Ethan Taylor, Carlos Medlock Jr., and Julius Avent and it rivals the 2016 and 2023 classes. This is probably the best four-man group that Izzo has landed since Cassius Winston’s class with Miles Bridges, Josh Langford, and Nick Ward.
Michigan State’s 2026 class now also has two Team USA members.
After participating in Team USA tryouts over the past few weeks, Jervis and Taylor were selected to the final 12-man roster that the U18 men’s basketball team is set to feature at the FIBA AmeriCup next week. Jervis and Taylor were clearly turning heads during tryouts and were able to make the final cut on Wednesday. The Spartans now have two of the 12 members of Team USA’s U18 squad.
Introducing the 2026 USA Basketball Men's U18 National Team 🤩
— USABJNT (@usabjnt) May 27, 2026
🇺🇸 #USABMU18 pic.twitter.com/yUUus6Tx5F
There are a couple of other familiar names that made the roster in 2027 target Davion Thompson and Illinois signee Quentin Coleman. If all goes as planned, this Team USA roster will have three Spartans on it, but it’s going to be a while before Thompson makes a decision.
It is good to see that Taylor made enough progress this offseason to make the Team USA roster, silencing some critics who were down on him after a quiet senior year at Link Academy.
Jervis, on the other hand, is someone that Spartan fans are heavily invested in.
Ethan Taylor should make everyone feel better about the center position
I think there was some valid concern regarding the center position entering the offseason with Carson Cooper and Jaxon Kohler exhausting their eligibility. The frontcourt took a massive hit and that meant that guys like Jesse McCulloch and Taylor would have to step up.
Fortunately, Izzo hit the portal and landed 7-foot-2 center Anton Bonke from Charlotte who’s likely going to be the team’s starter. Seeing Taylor make Team USA and beat out some really good big men for a roster spot gives Spartan fans that extra boost that they’ve needed after a long offseason that’s really only been about two months but has felt like a decade.
If Taylor can be a more-than-serviceable center as a true freshman, Michigan State is going to have an embarrassment of riches in the post.
I think we all undervalued Taylor a bit, but this should change things.
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