Tom Izzo Continues His Amazing Spring By Landing First Recruit for 2016 & It’s A Big One: Nick Ward. His Mother Explains Why They Chose MSU!

Tom Izzo Continues His Amazing Spring By Landing First Recruit for 2016 & It’s A Big One: Nick Ward. His Mother Explains Why They Chose MSU!

After reaching his seventh Final Four and reeling in monster 2015 recruit Caleb Swanigan Tom Izzo’s impressive spring continues. He landed one of the nation’s top 2016 recruits yesterday in Gahanna, OH native Nick Ward.

The 6’9” 240 pound versatile power forward is a ">monster competitor with a ferocious desire to compete. It is one thing to be a player, but Ward is a competitor who thrives when the stakes rise. Anyone can hit the big shot on in practice, but Ward is a young man that calls for it, wants it and will play with the aggression on defense.

Off the court the young Ward is a model citizen in the classroom and in the community. Spartan Nation Radio caught up with his mother, Stephanie Ward to get firsthand how Ward’s commitment to Michigan State came about.

She said, “What sealed the deal was when Coach Izzo and some of the coaching staff came to our home. When they were talking I was really paying attention to their body language, how they referred to Nick and to be honest with you, they were with Nick from the beginning and I wanted to see who really cared about my son. Not just as a basketball player, but as a person. I know Nicholas is a great basketball player. I know what he can do on the court, I want to see him grow into the person that I envisioned so long ago when he was just a baby. That is what I want to see and if you can help him do that you had my blessing. I am not saying that the other schools that recruited Nick weren’t great schools, great organizations, but you always have to think what is best for the child. It fit him both academically and athletically. At the end of the day these kids are great players, but they are also individuals and you have to treat them as such. They talked to my husband and myself as Nick’s parents. Not as parents of a great basketball player, but a great kid and that was what I was looking for.”