Michigan State Basketball: Constructing all-athlete team from Tom Izzo era
Power Forward/Center
Starter: Adreian Payne
Backup: Jaren Jackson Jr.
Watching the growth of Adreian Payne from his freshman to senior year was incredible. He went from a “bust” as a freshman, averaging 2.5 points, to an improving sophomore and a breakout junior and superstar senior.
He was always an athlete, though.
People forget that Payne was one of the best high-flyers in the Tom Izzo era and even partook in the college basketball dunk contest following his senior campaign.
Payne finished his career on the highest note, befriending Lacy Holsworth, a young cancer patient, and becoming one of the best stories in the country. He even let her sit front row at the dunk contest and she attended all Spartan games. He had an incredible final season, showcasing his athleticism as a floor-stretching four who could dunk over anyone and improved his NBA draft stock. He averaged 16.4 points and 7.3 rebounds per game while shooting 42 percent from deep.
Jaren Jackson Jr. could very well be the starting center on this team, but his one year can’t trump four of Payne. He was a once-in-a-generation athlete in the post, though, for Michigan State.
Next. Projected MSU basketball starting lineup for 2020-21. dark
There was a reason people called Jackson Jr. a unicorn and it was because he did things that people had never seen before from a Spartan big and it’s too bad we only saw one year of him.