MSU Basketball Takes Huge Step with Top 5-Star Recruit
Five-star forward Jalen Haralson is one of the best prospects in the 2025 class. 247Sports Composite rankings have Haralson at No. 9 among his peers and the No. 2 small forward in the class.
Haralson has 20 offers from some of the top programs in the country, including the Michigan State Spartans. Head coach Tom Izzo is not afraid to compete for elite blue-chip talent, and Haralson is being courted by the likes of Kansas, Purdue, and Duke, among others.
According to HS Top Recruits, Haralson is set to officially visit Michigan State on Sept. 14. Haralson would be huge for the Spartans, obviously. The Spartans are targeting five-star talent like Flint native Trey McKenney and Prolific Prep's newest transfer, forward Niko Bundalo.
Haralson is rated higher than both. Haralson had a busy summer, competing for Team USA at the U17 World Cup in Istanbul. Haralson helped the national team to a gold medal. Upon his selection to the team, 247Sports' Eric Bossi touted what Haralson would bring to the roster, which was "size and toughness."
"He is another player who can handle the ball and create for others," Bossi wrote. "At 6-foot-7, Haralson is big and strong enough that Team USA could really throw some wrinkles at opponents by using him in spurts as a small ball 4 man."
Bossi was not wrong about Haralson's impact. For the star-studded national team (which had other Izzo targets in Chris Cenac and Koa Peat), Haralson averaged 11.1 points, 4 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.7 steals with 15 minutes per game.
A scouting report from NBA Draft Room was favorable for Haralson.
"Haralson is a rock solid big guard who does a bit of everything on the court," the report read. "He’s a heady player with good fundamentals, a very strong frame and a high skill level. He’s great with the ball in his hands, running the offense, scoring off the dribble or making plays for teammates. Has a nice touch around the basket and on floaters and can shoot the outside shot. Doesn’t have one elite skill but does it all on the court."
Michael France is Sports Illustrated's Michigan State recruiting beat writer, covering all things Big Ten recruiting for Spartan Nation. Be sure to follow him on Twitter/X@michaelfrancesi for exclusive Spartans recruiting coverage.
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MICHAEL FRANCE