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Michigan State Basketball: Projected starting 5 after Tyson Walker pledge

By Connor Muldowney

WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 09: Tyson Walker #2 of the Northeastern Huskies dribbles up court during the CAA Men's Basketball Tournament - Semifinals college basketball game against the Elon Phoenix at the Entertainment & Sports Arena on March 9, 2020 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 09: Tyson Walker #2 of the Northeastern Huskies dribbles up court during the CAA Men's Basketball Tournament - Semifinals college basketball game against the Elon Phoenix at the Entertainment & Sports Arena on March 9, 2020 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) /
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Mar 2, 2021; East Lansing, Michigan, USA; Michigan State Spartans forward Gabe Brown (44) celebrates after defeating the Indiana Hoosiers at Jack Breslin Student Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 2, 2021; East Lansing, Michigan, USA; Michigan State Spartans forward Gabe Brown (44) celebrates after defeating the Indiana Hoosiers at Jack Breslin Student Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports /

Watching Tom Izzo’s halftime interaction with Gabe Brown may have been shocking to the casual college basketball fan, but for those of us who have watched the Spartans closely over the years, this was a fairly normal back-and-forth. This was nothing new.

So for those who believe this was the tipping point in Gabe’s career at Michigan State which will force him to transfer, think again.

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While he still could transfer for different reasons, it won’t be because of that interaction with Izzo which was probably just the latest of many. He’s a junior, not a freshman, and look at how Aaron Henry turned out.

Speaking of Henry, this would normally be his spot in the lineup, but the overwhelming consensus is that he’s planning on entering the NBA draft and staying in this time. He did just about everything with his game that he needed to in order to improve that stock, including putting Michigan State on his back to make the tourney.

Now it’s Gabe’s time to shine. He’ll be a senior (or redshirt junior if he wants to use 2020-21 as a free year) and he has all the tools to be a special player in East Lansing. Izzo has even compared his game and growth a little to Morris Peterson. If he has the senior year that MoPete did, Michigan State will be in luck.

Gabe had his best season yet, averaging 7.2 points and 2.7 rebounds, shooting 47 percent from the floor and 42 percent from deep. If he continues to grow and attack the basket more, he’ll be a legit threat in 2021-22.

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