MSU's Izzo Compares Freshman Jordan Scott to 2 Former Spartans
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Freshman Jordan Scott has already emerged as somebody Michigan State must give regular minutes to.
Scott is averaging 3.7 points and 3.4 rebounds so far, but the impact he leaves is often not represented very well on the box score. He reliably plays with high effort and has been one of the Spartans' better defenders.
What Izzo said about Scott
Following the Spartans' 76-72 win over Penn State on Saturday, head coach Tom Izzo was asked a question about Scott, who had scored seven points with five rebounds during the game.
"We think [he's] going to be a great player here," Izzo said. "He's got a little Smitty in him, Steve Smith, who was here. He's got a little Max Christie in him. He's got the ability to do some things. He's a very intelligent player, a very intelligent student."
Another thing Izzo likes is the work ethic that Scott has shown during his first season in East Lansing.
"He just needs reps, and he does live the game," Izzo said. "He's in there [practicing] morning, noon, and night. He's gonna get better, and you're going to see him play more, and more, and more minutes.
Similarities to Steve Smith
Smith played for Michigan State during Izzo's time as an assistant under Jud Heathcote. His 2,263 career points are the second-most in Spartan history, only behind Shawn Respert's 2,531.
One small thing that may be a bit similar is the shooting. Smith made 41.6% of his three-point attempts at MSU. Scott hasn't necessarily honed it in yet, currently at 27.3%, but Izzo has said that he's been shooting it great during practice and seems to think that it'll come along soon.
The maturity that Scott has shown as a freshman is likely another thing. He doesn't make many "freshman mistakes," and reliably looks like one of the hardest-working players on the floor, whether he's on offense or defense.
Comparisons to Max Christie
The builds between Scott and Max Christie also look pretty similar. Scott is listed at 6-foot-8 and 200 pounds, while Christie was placed at 6-foot-6 and 190 pounds on the 2021-22 roster during his only season in East Lansing. Christie's frame has stayed pretty much the same during his time in the NBA. The league actually says he's 6-foot-5 and 190 pounds.
If Scott were to have a similar trajectory as Christie, that might be bad news for the Spartans, actually, since Christie was a one-and-done. Christie had already been on NBA radars as a five-star recruit, and his 9.3 points per game were enough to be a high second-round pick and eventually become a part of the infamous Luka Doncic trade.
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A 2025 graduate from Michigan State University, Cotsonika brings a wealth of experience covering the Spartans from Rivals and On3 to his role as Michigan State Spartans Beat Writer on SI. At Michigan State, he was also a member of the world-renowned Spartan marching band for two seasons.
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