Michigan State Basketball: 3 instant benefits from landing No. 1 recruit Emoni Bates

1. Prolongs Tom Izzo’s career and boosts his legacy

Last, but certainly not least, landing Emoni Bates gave Tom Izzo’s legacy an immediate boost. He recruited the No. 1 player in the country and the best prospect since LeBron James when all other schools gave up on him. He was essentially the only head coach who was putting in an effort and he did so since Emoni was in middle school. That’s huge.

This is the first time in Izzo’s career that he won the battle for the No. 1 overall player after just missing out on multiple occasions (Josh Jackson, Jabari Parker).

Add this to his Hall of Fame resume and even if Emoni doesn’t suit up for Michigan State, Izzo boosted the program’s image with the commitment and it helped with recruiting instantly. His legacy earned a major boost with Emoni’s pledge and if he does actually suit up in 2021 or 2022, we can talk about how recruiting him was one of the best moves of Izzo’s career.

As if this isn’t enough of a benefit for Izzo and Michigan State, it also likely prolongs the Hall of Fame coach’s career. What looked to be a coach heading toward retirement in the next couple of years could be one that feels rejuvenated after landing such a big fish. No way he retires before the 2022 or even 2023 seasons if Emoni is there.

Heck, if recruiting picks up like it should, he may not retire in the next five years. That gives him more chances to win that elusive No. 2 and boost his legacy even more.

Build the statue.