How Will Spartans' Revamped Big Men Compare With Bitter Rival's
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The Michigan State Spartans will bring in multiple key post players for next season, hoping to recover the losses they took in that area this offseason. Their bitter rival, Michigan, did just the same and maybe more, making next year's in-state matchups must-see TV.
The Spartans added a key paint piece in Florida Atlantic transfer forward Kaleb Glenn, who will be a junior. They will also have incoming four-star forwards Cam Ward and Jordan Scott, with future redshirt freshman center Jesse McCulloch. This is a revamped group of post players for MSU.
The pair will assist Spartan future seniors Jaxon Kohler and Carson Cooper, as well as future junior Coen Carr. With rebounding and paint scoring being a strength of last season, the Spartans are looking to repeat as one of the nation's top teams in the post and will be expected to with their transfer additions.
In the Wolverines' case, they lost both senior big men Vlad Goldin and Danny Wolf as their collegiate careers are over. Coach Dusty May and his staff have done a phenomenal job of adding through the portal, grabbing some of the top recruits.
Michigan landed UAB forward Yaxel Lendeborg and UCLA 7-3 center Aday Mara. The pair were regarded as two of the top transfer portal additions, and the Wolverines got both. Not to mention, they added Illinois forward Morez Johnson as well.
So, the question stands: How will the Spartans' big men stack up against their rivals' top transfer talent in the paint?
With how well Michigan State's post play was last year against both Goldin and Wolf, there should be no worry that they will be outmatched against this new Wolverine team. The only major big man loss for the Spartans was senior forward Frankie Fidler, whose style of play fit more a guard.
Center Szymon Zapala is out of eligibility but was not the game-changer that many assumed him to be before last season, and forward Xavier Booker decided to transfer to UCLA after being a non-factor last year as well. Michigan State is returning almost the same team, plus a few.
Michigan State's paint presence turned out to be a strength this season and could be one again next year.
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