Spartan Avenue
Fansided

Michigan State Recruiting: 10 priority 2017 basketball targets

By Connor Muldowney

Dec 30, 2014; East Lansing, MI, USA; Michigan State Spartans and mascot Sparty huddle prior to a game against the Maryland Terrapins at Jack Breslin Student Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 30, 2014; East Lansing, MI, USA; Michigan State Spartans and mascot Sparty huddle prior to a game against the Maryland Terrapins at Jack Breslin Student Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
4 of 10
Next
Feb 18, 2016; East Lansing, MI, USA; Michigan State Spartans guard Denzel Valentine (45) brings the ball up court during the second half of a game against the Wisconsin Badgers at Jack Breslin Student Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 18, 2016; East Lansing, MI, USA; Michigan State Spartans guard Denzel Valentine (45) brings the ball up court during the second half of a game against the Wisconsin Badgers at Jack Breslin Student Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports /

Remember when Tom Izzo was trying to snag five-star point guard Tyus Jones from Apple Valley High School in the 2014 class? He was close to getting a package deal with him and Jahlil Okafor, but Duke was a more attractive destination for the two who eventually went on to with the 2015 NCAA Championship.

It was a tough recruitment to lose out on, but Izzo has been recruiting much more effectively in recent class and he could redeem himself with five-star shooting guard Gary Trent Jr. who happens to go to the same exact high school in Minnesota that Jones attended.

Trent Jr. has the potential to be an even brighter star as well. He’s considered the top shooting guard and the No. 9 overall prospect in the class, according to 247Sports, and could be a huge snag for Izzo.

The high school junior has often said the Spartans were recruiting him hard and 247Sports recruiting expert Jerry Meyer believes Michigan State is one of the teams with the best chances to land the likely one-and-done guard.

Right now, it looks like Duke leads for him as well and he might take the same path as Jones while schools like Ohio State, Kansas, Baylor, Arizona, Kentucky, Iowa, Oregon and Providence have offered as well. He’s shot up the recruiting rankings over the past year and he will be a name to watch for.

Next: 6. Kris Wilkes

Home/Recruiting