Michigan State Basketball: Piecing together all-2010s starting five

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MARCH 16: Gary Harris #14 and Adreian Payne #5 of the Michigan State Spartans celebrates after the 69-55 win over the Michigan Wolverines during the finals of the Big Ten Basketball Tournament at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on March 16, 2014 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /

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INDIANAPOLIS, IN – MARCH 16: Gary Harris #14 of the Michigan State Spartans reacts against the Michigan Wolverines during the 2014 Big Ten Men’s Championship at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on March 16, 2014 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /

It’s tough to argue this one. Gary Harris had to be the best shooting guard of the past decade and he was only in East Lansing for two seasons.

Harris was one of the most highly-touted recruits in the Tom Izzo era and he lived up to the hype right away, averaging 12.9 points while shooting 41 percent from 3-point range. He wasn’t afraid to take the ball right to the basket and looked more like an upperclassman than any freshman Izzo had seen. He also played an elite level of defense.

Not only did he win Big Ten Freshman of the Year in 2012-13, but he was also a second-team All-Big Ten team member. As a sophomore, he was named first-team All-Big Ten after improving his numbers to 16.7 points per game. He saw his shooting percentage dip a bit, but he showed the ability to be the go-to guy on a loaded team.

Harris only played two seasons but he still finished his career with over 1,000 points — it’s taken some former fan favorites four to reach that mark.

It’s a shame his team didn’t win the national title in 2013-14 because it may have been the last great chance.

Backups: Bryn Forbes, Josh Langford

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