Tom Izzo and Michigan State have been checking in on some elite prospects this week at the Nike Peach Jam and it’s encouraging to see the Hall of Famer aim for the stars.
Izzo knows that in order to win a national title, you have to land elite talent in both the high school recruiting class as well as supplemental help via the transfer portal. He’s starting to figure that out, but he’s never going to let high school recruiting become second fiddle to transfer recruiting.
On Friday, Izzo stopped in at the Peach Jam to watch one of the fastest-rising recruits in the 2027 class, Asa Montgomery. The borderline five-star small forward would be a perfect OKG (our kind of guy).
According to Sam Kayser, Michigan State is one of the schools that has been keeping close tabs on Montgomery this summer along with blue bloods like Duke, North Carolina, Kentucky, and UConn. Perennial contenders like Arizona, Auburn, Houston, Alabama, and Florida also showed interest in the top-30 prospect from Powder Springs, Ga.
It might help Izzo that he has a Georgia native on his current roster as Coen Carr was the last Peach State prospect that he landed, and it’s turned out pretty well.
Montgomery is one of the fastest-rising stars in the 2027 class, rising from the 101st-ranked recruit last June all the way to the No. 28 prospect as of July 18. His recruitment has obviously taken off over the past year and he showed out in front of over a dozen collegiate coaches, scoring 27 points with five rebounds during a Peach Jam game on Friday morning.
Quite the impression that Montgomery left on Izzo and his staff.
Asa Montgomery’s game would be a breath of fresh air
Montgomery’s game is rather intriguing and I think all Spartan fans should want him in the green and white. He has an aggressive style of play that involves impressive shot creation, a scary slashing ability, and he may be 6-foot-7 and play on the wing, but he can handle the ball.
He plays with confidence and that’s half the battle.
4⭐️ Asa Montgomery been active at Peach Jam, averaging 22 and 7 for AOT 🔥🪣 @AsaMont2027 @NikeEYB pic.twitter.com/xMuBJyLowV
— League Ready (@LeagueRDY) July 18, 2026
Montgomery’s Peach Jam highlights also show that he’s a willing defender, isn’t afraid to get buckets the tough way by backing down defenders and making a quick move to score, and he just plays with a calmness and aggression which is a dangerous combination.
Michigan State fans have seen players with this same calmness and aggression over the years, but the last one was Jase Richardson and you could even argue Jeremy Fears, too.
Imagine Medlock leading the offense with a super-athlete like Montgomery on the wing along with Jasiah Jervis. Then you’d have Cam Ward and Ethan Taylor rounding out the starting five in the post. To me, that lineup is as scary as any that Izzo has ever coached, if all play to their potential.
Michigan State needs to put the full-court press on the 6-foot-7 wing from Georgia and I feel like a visit could be in order with Carr taking him under his wing.
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