Tom Izzo wants No. 2 bad. The Hall of Fame Michigan State basketball coach has gotten a taste of a deep NCAA Tournament run again for the first time since COVID-19 and he's hungry for more.
Michigan State is fresh off its first Big Ten title since 2020 and the Spartans made it to the Elite Eight before getting bounced by a much more veteran Auburn team. The Tigers flexed their muscle against Michigan State and exposed some weaknesses that had been plaguing the Spartans all season like consistent post scoring and 3-point shooting.
Izzo has addressed some of those weaknesses this offseason and he's going to expect more growth from Jaxon Kohler, Carson Cooper, and Jesse McColloch.
But the Hall of Famer did run into an unexpected roadblock as well. He lost two of his three primary ball-handlers and another guard who could handle the ball in a pinch in Jaden Akins. Tre Holloman transferred to NC State and Jase Richardson entered the NBA Draft as a potential one-and-done. That forced Izzo into using the portal more than he would have liked.
Three transfers committed to Michigan State in the form of Kaleb Glenn, Trey Fort, and Divine Ugochukwu which means that the roster is likely set for 2025-26 but the backcourt is a little shakier than it was in 2024-25.
Izzo is already addressing that for 2026 on the recruiting trail.
Michigan State coaches were at EYBL Session 2 this past weekend to check in on some top prospects, including the nation's No. 2 point guard, Jason Crowe Jr.
The 6-foot-3, 170-pound point guard from Inglewood, Calif., has to be strongly considering staying home to play for UCLA or USC at the next level, but hearing from the likes of Michigan State, Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Baylor, LSU, and Texas have to give him something to consider.
Crowe reportedly showed out at the EYBL event as one of the top scorers and that impression left on Izzo hopefully leads to a ramping up of pressure from Michigan State's side.
The Inglewood, Calif., star is ranked the No. 5 prospect in the 2026 class and the No. 2 point guard, according to 247Sports. No offer from Michigan State has been reported yet, but I'd assume Izzo tries to get him to campus for a visit to change that.