There's an obvious hole on the roster following the departures of Jaden Akins, Jase Richardson, and Tre Holloman that only a ball-handling guard can fill. Michigan State basketball may be one guard away from really making noise in the Big Ten and defending that title next season.
Fortunately, Tom Izzo is well aware of that.
The Hall of Fame head coach has been reportedly checking out some overseas prospects as he tries to get in the international game like his fellow Big Ten coaches Brad Underwood and Matt Painter.
Just this week, a new international guard target has been rumored to be Noam Yaacov, an "undersized" guard who is crafty and explosive. He's reportedly a pure point.
According to a report, the Spartans have been showing some interest in Yaacov, a 6-foot-1 point guard who plays in the Israeli Premier League.
Some have even called him "one of the best young pure point guards in Europe."
6’1 🇮🇱 🇩🇰 Noam Yaacov is one of the best young pure PG’s in Europe
— Arman Jovic (@PDTScouting) April 30, 2025
Noam is currently playing for a loaded roster, playing with 7 different former NBA players, so he hasn’t received too many minutes this season
However in all Fiba youth competitions playing at the highest… pic.twitter.com/NKZQXbxBUK
Yaacov seems to possess an incredible feel for where teammates are on the floor at all times as some of his passes are mind-boggling. He has a tremendous feel for the game and if he drives to the rim and doesn't see an opening for himself, he's passing to open teammates for clean shots.
Michigan State could use that when Jeremy Fears Jr. isn't on the floor. Imagine going from "The Floor General" to a guy who has the same type of feel and explosiveness off the bench.
That would surely set Michigan State apart.
In FIBA youth competitions, he reportedly averaged 17.2 points, 7.3 assists, and 5.3 rebounds on 45 percent shooting. He would be more than good enough to add to the backcourt rotation in East Lansing.
This would be a "we're serious about winning it all" type of move.