Michigan State's Tom Izzo Bringing in a Solid Recruiting Class for Next Season

This group of incoming freshmen is not the flashiest players in the country, but they are good players to have on a team trying to return to the Final Four.

Mar 20, 2024; Charlotte, NC, USA; Michigan State Spartans head coach Tom Izzo during practice at | Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

Michigan State men's basketball does not have the flashy recruiting class it had last year. The Spartans have brought in three freshmen instead of four, and none of them were McDonald's All-Americans, unlike Xavier Booker and Jeremy Fears Jr. That does not mean that this group cannot provide for the team next season.

The Spartans have the 22nd-ranked class in the country compared to last year when they had the 6th-ranked class. The highest-rated recruit that Coach Tom Izzo has coming to East Lansing is a familiar face to Spartan fans, Jase Richardson. Richardson is ranked as the 34th-best player in the 2024 class and the fourth-best combo guard by 247Sports.

Coach Izzo also brings in two other players who might not see a lot as much playing time off the bat in Kur Teng and Jesse McCulloch.

Richardson is the son of former Michigan State legend Jason Richardson. Jase is a 6-foot-3 combo guard from Las Vegas who played down in Miami at Columbus High School, playing with his brother Jaxon, as well as Cayden and Camron Boozer.

Jase averaged 15.3 points per game, almost four assists and four rebounds. Jase also helped lead Columbus to a Florida state championship for the third consecutive season when he posted 14 points, four rebounds and three assists. 

Adam Finkelstein, director of scouting for 247 sports, describes Jase as “a southpaw combo-guard who has been known for his upside since he was younger, but is now turning potential into production at an increasingly consistent rate. He’s highly versatile and legitimately able to impact the game in a multitude of ways on both ends of the floor.”

Teng is a 6-4 shooting guard who plays at Bradford Christian Academy in Maine. He is rated as a four-star recruit who is ranked 54th in the country and the 10th best shooting guard in the country by 247Sports. Teng is going to take some time getting onto the court as he is still a pretty raw player and still needs to work on his fundamentals. He does, however, know how to shoot, as he can shoot a catch-and-shoot 3 as well as shoot off the dribble.

Teng, however, is not a great defender or passer and will need some time to learn under Izzo on how to become better in those areas.

McCulloch is a 6-9 power forward who played at Lutheran East in Cleveland, Ohio. McCulloch, a three-star prospect, is ranked as the 133rd-best player in the country by 247Sports. Out of the three players in this recruiting class, McCulloch is going to need the most time getting in the gym and learning from guys like Carson Cooper and Jaxon Kholer and how they play.

McCulloch could also benefit from taking a redshirt season just like Gherig Normand did this past season, being on the bench and learning the style of play that Izzo wants to run. The young forward does have the most untapped potential out of the three. Being a 6-9 forward who can shoot, rebound, block shots and move his feet quickly can be a very useful weapon down the road for Izzo.

This group of incoming commits do have potential and bring depth to help the bench if a player needs a breather and Izzo needs either Jase or Teng to step in and play for a few minutes.

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