Michigan State Basketball: Final starting 5 projections for 2021-22 season

Lastly, I see Marcus Bingham Jr. taking a huge jump as a senior starter for the Spartans at center. He has been waiting for this opportunity for years and now that he’s clearly the best option to start at the five, he’s going to break out.

Bingham Jr. will have guys behind him who are capable of playing quality minutes such as Julius Marble and Mady Sissoko, but Bingham Jr. is the most polished of the group.

The major question is this: Will he be motivated enough to break out?

Bingham Jr. has all the potential and talent to be a star center in the Big Ten, but he hasn’t even approached that yet. He has shown flashes, but his conditioning has been an issue for years, and so has his strength. I think he’s ready to star for the Spartans, but he needs to stay motivated to get better and he’ll be an all-defensive teamer.

We saw what he was capable of defensively against Grand Valley in the final exhibition game, blocking six shots with seven rebounds and he even added 10 points. Get even close to that on a nightly basis and the Spartans have a dominant defensive post presence.