Michigan State Basketball: Ranking Tom Izzo’s top 10 recruiting classes
Dec 3, 2014; South Bend, IN, USA; Michigan State Spartans head coach Tom Izzo watches from the bench in the first half against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at the Purcell Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports
4. Class of 2002
The 2002 class was kind of all over the place as there were a handful of commits who didn’t pan out and one who never even played a game in the Spartan uniform. One guy who was brought over from overseas was Erazem Lorbek and was not really recruited in the United States very much. The Slovenian played just one season with MSU before heading back overseas.
Delco Rowley and Matt Trannon were two other guys who barely saw any playing time just because the teams around this time were so stacked. Rowley came in as a three-star and played just 73 career games, scoring a total of 100 points. Trannon was also a wide receiver on the football team, so his time on the basketball court was somewhat limited. He scored a total of 182 points on the hardwood while catching 148 passes for 1,755 yards and nine scores.
Paul Davis came in as the only five-star recruit out of Rochester Hills, Mich., and did not disappoint Spartan Nation. Davis helped lead the Spartans to a Final Four, an Elite Eight and two first-round exits. As a center, Davis was a rare specimen as he could shoot short jump shots and back down defenders, equally. He was tough to defend and the former Mr. Basketball for the state of Michigan averaged 13.2 points, 7.0 rebounds and shot 54 percent from the field for his career.
Ager came in as just a three-star recruit but was definitely the most successful player in the class. The Southfield-native became a Spartan legend in the Maui Invitational Tournament in 2005 when he squared off against Adam Morrison as the two had a battle for the ages. Morrison finished with 43 for the winning Gonzaga Bulldogs and Ager finished with 36, but gave a valiant effort. He was drafted in the first round of the 2006 NBA Draft, along with Davis and Shannon Brown, and finished his Spartan career with 12.5 points and 3.4 rebounds per game.
These guys made some deep NCAA Tournament runs.
Next: 3. Class of 2001