Michigan State Recruiting: Top 2016 basketball targets

Mar 4, 2015; East Lansing, MI, USA; Michigan State Spartans head coach Tom Izzo reacts to a play during the 1st half of a game at Jack Breslin Student Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports

It was hard to choose between Josh Jackson and Amir Coffey for this one. While Coffey, a four-star shooting guard ranked No. 36 in the nation by 247Sports, is the one who has a Michigan State offer on the table, Jackson, ranked No. 1 in the nation, should be a higher priority.

However, if I were to guess which one has a better chance of picking the Spartans, I’m going to have to go with Coffey.

Jackson is one of the most talented, if not the most, players in the entire class, ranked compositely as the No. 1 overall player. Michigan State has yet to offer Jackson which it kind of surprising seeing as he’s from Detroit. The talented two-guard will likely pick a school closer to his new home out west.

The five-star shooting guard stands 6-foot-7 and weighs in at 185 pounds, much like the stature of former No. 1 overall high school player Andrew Wiggins. The two could be even more eerily similar if Jackson picks Kansas like his 247Sports Crystal Ball predicts he will.

Izzo will probably take a shot at him before it’s all said and done and the talented recruit will likely wait the process out before making a decision. It’s always a good sign to be named in a players’ top-10 even before offering him a scholarship — that’s exactly where MSU stands with Jackson.

It will be interesting to see if Michigan State’s interest rises in Jackson if they can’t reel in some of the other guys higher on this list, or maybe even Amir Coffey.

Next: 3. Josh Langford, SG, 5-star