Michigan State basketball has new competition for 5-star Bryson Tucker

Tom Izzo and Michigan State basketball are hard at work as the offseason just started on Saturday night after a loss to North Carolina and the Hall of Famer vowed to make sure the Spartans get back to deep runs in the NCAA Tournament.

The next day, Izzo was in Ohio to watch Jesse McCulloch lead his team to a high school state title. He didn't even take 24 hours to mourn the loss of his 2023-24 season, he was already on the trail making sure he puts in work for his already-committed and signed players.

But there is one more target in the 2024 class that he'll be keeping an eye on in the coming months.

That target is Bryson Tucker.

The five-star small forward from Bishop O'Connell in Arlington, Va., recently narrowed down his options to Kansas, Michigan State, and a couple of pro options. However, the G-League Ignite closed up shop and that meant that Michigan State's chances to land him increased.

But those chances took a hit on Tuesday as Tucker was in Bloomington for an official visit.

Tucker is one of the top prospects in the 2024 class, ranked the No. 20 overall recruit by the 247Sports Composite. He's also the nation's seventh-best small forward.

Adding Tucker to the wing which could move Jaden Akins over to his natural two spot and a combination of Jeremy Fears Jr. and Tre Holloman at the point would be huge. That's a lineup that could compete for a Big Ten title, especially if Izzo can get a portal center who could start and move Xavier Booker into that four spot.

Tucker is an important target, but it appears that Mike Woodson and Indiana have thrown their name into the race and his recruitment just got a little more interesting.