Indiana High School Products Booker, Colvin Expected To Help Big Ten Favorites
Purdue and Michigan State each return over 80% of their scoring from last season, but that’s not the only reason they are viewed as head and shoulders above the rest of the Big Ten entering the 2023-24 season.
The Boilermakers and the Spartans have supplemented their rosters with talented freshmen as they pursue national championship aspirations. Two of those freshmen are top-ranked Indiana high school products: Xavier Booker for Michigan State and Myles Colvin for Purdue.
Indiana has long been known for producing basketball stars, and Michigan State and Purdue have benefitted with recent players like Jaren Jackson Jr. and Jaden Ivey. Booker and Colvin share some similarities to those current NBA players, and they're both expected to help their new teams.
Start with Booker, a versatile forward from Cathedral High School in Indianapolis, Ind. Booker is the No. 1 recruit out of Indiana and No. 11 in the nation, per 247 Sports, making him a McDonald's All-American in the class of 2023. With 3-point range and fluid mobility at 6-foot-11, Booker is a rare talent.
McDonald's All American East forward Xavier Booker (34) in action during the first half against the McDonald's All American West at Toyota Center.
Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports
He also fills what was a weak point for the Spartans last season. Izzo leaned on guards Tyson Walker, A.J. Hoggard and Jaden Akins to run the team, but the center position was a constant revolving door with players like Mady Sissoko, Jaxon Kohler and Carson Cooper. Power forward Joey Hauser, the team's second-leading scorer, graduated, leaving a scoring void and plenty of available minutes in the front court.
Like any freshman, there will be adjustments to the faster, more physical college game, but Michigan State coach Tom Izzo likes what he's seen from Booker so far. At Big Ten media days Tuesday in Minneapolis, Minn., Izzo joked that Booker has what he never had – an additional foot in arm length and a foot-and-a-half in height. But despite his natural gifts, Izzo said Booker does not act entitled and knows he must get stronger and play harder.
"The banging has been something we all knew he had to get better at, but I give a lot of credit to his mom and dad because they knew that," Izzo said. "The day he got out of school, they wanted him up lifting and getting better. So Xavier has been a treat to coach, to be honest with you."
Izzo recently invited one of his former players, Jason Richardson, back to East Lansing, which provided a valuable lesson for Booker and others. A top-15 recruit, Richardson played 15.7 minutes per game, mostly off the bench, as a freshman on Michigan State's 1999-2000 national title team. The following season, he started 32 games, averaged 14.7 points and was named a consensus All-American. Following his sophomore season, the Golden State Warriors selected Richardson fifth overall in the 2001 NBA Draft.
"This is a process," Izzo said. "And that's what we're trying to tell Xavier. In fact, all the freshmen, but Xavier's got the longest process from a standpoint of strength and that ability. But he's got one of the highest prospects as far as skill level. He can shoot it, he can run, and he's been fun to coach. I've been really enjoying Xavier."
The state of Indiana's second-ranked recruit, Colvin, joins a Purdue team hungry to avenge a heartbreaking loss that ended an otherwise dominant season. The Boilermakers started 13-0, won the Big Ten regular season title by three games, then ran through the conference tournament to earn a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
But for the second time in tournament history, a No. 1 seed was upset by a No. 16 seed, as Fairleigh Dickinson stunned Purdue even though the Boilermakers had National Player of the Year Zach Edey at center. Purdue turned the ball over 16 times, and its perimeter players shot 5-for-26 from 3-point range.
Purdue will need now-sophomore guards Braden Smith and Fletcher Loyer to grow, but the addition of Colvin should help. The 6-foot-5 guard is an explosive athlete, seen through his second-place finish at the High School Slam Dunk competition at the Final Four in Houston. Colvin also has a 6-foot-10.5-inch wingspan, which will be valuable on the defensive end, along with a quick first step.
Heritage Christian Eagle Myles Colvin (11) shoots a free throw during a game against University High School on Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023, at Heritage Christian High School in Indianapolis.
Jenna Watson/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK
Purdue senior Mason Gillis sees great potential with Colvin.
"I think he's going to be a good spark for us, really," Gillis said at Big Ten media days. "He has a great shooting touch, obvious athleticism, and I'm excited to see what he does. He's played pretty well in practice. He's a freshman, so he still has things to learn, but I see him paying attention and listening to people. So the sky's the limit, really, for him. It's up to him on how good he wants to be. He has all the tools, it's just about ironing them out, sharpening them and being ready for conference play."
Colvin committed to Purdue as the No. 63 player in the nation out of Heritage Christian School in Indianapolis, Ind., where he averaged 19.3 points as a senior. As a 17-year-old, he was chosen to play for Team USA in the FIBA U19 World Championships in Latvia, which had a 12-player roster that included current college players and some of the nation's top-ranked recruits.
Purdue lost guards David Jenkins Jr. and Brandon Newman from last season, but Painter addressed the guard and wing positions by adding Colvin, redshirt freshman Cam Heide and Southern Illinois transfer Lance Jones.
Painter feels Purdue has more depth in those areas now, which will help the Boilermakers' Final Four pursuit.
"We have a lot of guys that are very similar," Painter said. "But we have more athleticism and we have more quickness than we did last year."
