Michigan State Basketball: 3 role players who could become stars in 2020-21

Anyone who watched Michigan State early last season and even leading up to the middle of Big Ten play would have agreed with this selection of Gabe Brown as a role player-turned-star.

Brown was on fire early on, becoming one of the hottest shooters on the team and really looking like he had taken that next step as a sophomore. He wasn’t afraid to drive to the hoop and throw down a highlight dunk or step out and drill a three in a defender’s face.

And then he got the flu and never really regained that confidence.

Before he got sick, he had six games of scoring in double figures and had less than six points just one time in 21 games. After the “flu game” versus Wisconsin in which he was held scoreless in just a couple minutes of action, he had one double-digit scoring performance and was held under six points seven times.

It was a tale of two seasons, but he has shown that when he’s healthy and has the confidence, he can be a problem for defenses.

We could see Brown force his way into the starting lineup this year and really become one of the top shooters in the league and someone who averages 10-15 points per game while improving on his defense. Don’t be surprised if all three of those things happen. The potential is there.