How significant could Michigan State's 2023 recruiting class be?

Earlier today, when I pulled up Gehrig Normand’s On3 profile to place my expert pick for Michigan State, I got to thinking. This week has been significant for Tom Izzo and the Michigan State basketball program.

As I write this article, we are just two days removed from the Spartans landing one of its highest ranked players in the program’s recent memory. Five-star Xavier Booker is their first top ten player since Jaren Jackson, Jr. in 2017.

We all understand that championships are not won on signing day, but recruiting is the lifeblood of every elite-level program. Anyone who follows recruiting closely knows there is a direct correlation between recruiting class rankings and top-25 finishes. Sure it is not 100 percent full proof, but – typically – the programs that sustain recruiting success find themselves with success on the court.

Jackson came in with Xavier Tillman in the 2017 class, and until Max Christie this year, those were the last two Michigan State players drafted, Jackson was the last first-rounder in 2018.

These last two seasons, the Spartans have been down, by their own standards. They are 38-and-26 overall, with eighth and seventh place finishes in the Big Ten. So any type of positive energy is welcomed within the program, be it signing day or not.

Four-star PG Jeremy Fears

Tom Izzo’s best teams have traditionally been the ones that center around tough-minded point guards. As far back as Mateen Cleaves, when the Spartans are led at the point of attack by a guy that bleeds leadership, they have seen a lot of success.

Jeremy Fears has the reputation of being this type of point guard. A guy where you can look past his stats and see the intangibles he brings to the table.

This summer, playing with Indy Elite on Nike’s EYBL Circuit, some of the questions scouts have with Fears’ game shined bright. A look at Synergy tells us the point guard averaged 9.2-points while shooting 35.2-percent from the field and 16.7-percent from three. He had 117 assists to 74 turnovers through the 23-game EYBL season. Synergy graded Fears as ‘good’ defensively and ‘below average’ offensively.

However, if you saw Fears in Spain with the u17 USA team, he was a much more efficient player. He averaged 9.9 points and 4.4 assists per game while shooting 49.1 percent from the field and 37.5 percent from three. The team won gold.

The difference between the two may be the USA team was built around Fears. He had command of the locker room, and there was no denying who the point guard was on the floor. Fears looks to be Izzo’s guy.

Four-star SG Gehrig Normand

In the wake of the probability of losing Devin Royal to Ohio State, Izzo and staff moved quickly on Gehrig Normand. The Spartans needed a big wing in this class, one who could stretch the floor. Royal fits that mold, but so does Normand.

Normand is a sharp-shooting off guard who plays with a sense of toughness. The 6-foot-6 Texas-based wing is a late-bloomer with a frame that still needs to fill out. He has some explosion in his athleticism and great length to work with. Normand’s dad also played football for Bill Snyder at Kansas State, so he comes by his toughness honestly.

While Normand may not pop off the page right now, this four-star is the type who could possibly continue to develop over the next couple of years and play his way into next-level conversations. Now that I put that out in the atmosphere, I need to temper any expectations by saying that it is a long way off and by no means a definite or even probable, but it is a possible outcome that is worthy of bringing up.

On3 is higher on Normand than the industry. He is ranked No. 69 by On3, while he is No. 81 in the industry standard On3 Consensus.

Taking Normand also does not mean they will not get Royal. The staff is still working on getting Royal, who will announce tomorrow (Wednesday, August 3). Normand and Royal could pair nicely together, but taking the 6-foot-6 Normand moves the needle. With or without Royal, he fills a significant need in this class.

Rest of the 2023 class

The Michigan State staff has been very meticulous with who they pushed for in 2023. While Verbal Commits has offers out to JJ Taylor, Braelon Green, and Scotty Middleton, the staff did not spend much time going after those prospects.

They really zeroed in on six guys to this point. They should land Normand later tonight, and look to pair him with Fears and Booker. Milan Momcilovic chose Iowa State, and it looks like Devin Royal will end up at Ohio State. Four-star Coen Carr is the sixth.

In an interview with Carr published last week, he told On3 he took early official visits to Indiana, Vanderbilt, Tennessee, and Michigan State. He recently picked up South Carolina, Pittsburgh, and NC State offers as well.

It’s been a significant week for the Michigan State basketball program. One that fans can look at and possibly feel a small victory with on signing day.