Michigan State Basketball: Bryn Forbes ranked No. 7 shooter of past decade

Former Michigan State basketball star Bryn Forbes was one of the best shooters in the nation during his college days and he’s been ranked No. 7 since 2011.

Tom Izzo has had his fair share of sharpshooters over the years, but there are a handful that stand out above the rest.

In that top group would have to be guys like Matt McQuaid, Gary Harris, Cassius Winston, Denzel Valentine and Bryn Forbes. The latter of the group was named the No. 7 shooter in college basketball from the past decade.

Yes, Forbes is not only considered one of the best shooters in the Izzo era, but one of the 10 best sharpshooters since 2011 by college basketball analyst Andy Katz.

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Forbes joins some elite territory with Markus Howard No. 1 and 2019 national champion Kyle Guy at No. 2. There’s some controversy at No. 3 with Duncan Robinson who played three years at Michigan and shot 42 percent from deep. He’s arguably one of the best 3-point shooters in the NBA right now but was he the third-best collegiate shooter from the past decade? That’s up for debate.

Sam Merrill is at No. 4 — in the same boat as Robinson which is up for debate — and Kansas’ Devonte Graham is at No. 5. Wofford sharpshooter Fletcher Magee is at No. 6 but probably should be in that top-five range. And then at No. 7 is Forbes.

It’s nice to see him recognized for one heck of a two-year run at MSU.

A stellar Michigan State basketball career

When Forbes came to Michigan State, there was no telling just how effective of a shooter he’d be. He shot 39 and 42 percent in two seasons with Cleveland State, but no one could have imagined he’d be even better in a Spartan uniform. He was.

Forbes shot 43 percent during his first season with the Spartans from downtown and then 48 percent as a senior. He had 182 made 3-pointers in two seasons with the Spartans and 324 total for his career.

Not only was Forbes an excellent shooter, but he averaged 14.4 points during his senior season and helped lead Michigan State to a Big Ten Tournament title after a second-place finish in the regular season. He was the poster child of the best shooting team Tom Izzo ever had he made a Big Ten record 11 3-pointers in a single game.

Oh, and he helped lead Michigan State to a Final Four in his first year with the program as an integral role player.

No. 7 on this list almost seems like a disservice to the career he had in East Lansing.