Spartan Nation

Michigan State Misses Out on Elite Four‑Star Center

Michigan State came up empty in pursuit of this 6'9'' four-star center.

Jordon Lawrenz

Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo reacts to a play against Auburn during the first half of the Elite Eight round of the NCAA tournament at State Farm Arena in Atlanta on Sunday, March 30, 2025.
Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo reacts to a play against Auburn during the first half of the Elite Eight round of the NCAA tournament at State Farm Arena in Atlanta on Sunday, March 30, 2025. / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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Four-star center Tristan Reed picked the day after Halloween to announce his college commitment. With Michigan State patiently waiting, they were one of five teams watching Reed's announcement from the Newman Auditorium - Star Building, at John Burroughs School. Ultimately, the big man pledged his commitment to Mississippi State.

Michigan State fell short in pursuit of the 6'9'' center whom they extended an offer to in June. Back on June 19, head coach Tom Izzo made it official, but it's clear it was too little too late for MSU.

In the end, Reed chose the Bulldogs over Ohio State, Missouri, Michigan State, and Maryland. Head coach Chris Jans made sure that the Branson, MO, native wasn't going anywhere other than Mississippi State.

Reed's College Commitment

Izzo hosted an official visit with Reed on Sept 20. It marked his second-to-last visit, with the final being on Oct 3 in Maryland. After taking roughly a month to look everything over and recap the highs and lows of each visit he attended, Reed decided he'd be best suited as a Bulldog.

247Sports had Reed listed as "warmer" in regard to his interest in MSU, OSU, and Missouri. His interest in Maryland and Mississippi State was simply "warm". No expert prediction was logged, though he ended up choosing one of the "warm" teams. To Bulldogs fans, this came as no surprise.

Reed immediately became Jans' highest recruit in the Class of '26. He's one of four commits, including Top 100 small forward Jalyn Collingwood. Guard Willie Burnett III and center Ladarius Givan both committed in the last three months.

Tom Izzo's Class of 2026

As it stands, Izzo has two commits in the Class of '26. Both of his commitments come from Top 100 players. Reed, who 247Sports ranks No. 80 nationally, would've been his second-highest recruit in the class.

Currently, Izzo's top recruit is point guard Carlos Medlock Jr. The 5'11'' 165-pound point guard is ranked No. 67 nationally and was a Top 10 point guard in the class. He was Izzo's first commitment back in July, and it took roughly three months for Izzo to land another.

6'7'' 220-pound power forward Julius Avent decided to join the Spartans on Oct 1. He's the No. 2 player in New Jersey, coming in at No. 93 in the Class of '26. While Izzo would've loved to add a center to continue to round out his next set of recruits, he'll have to look elsewhere. He fell short in pursuit of Reed.

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Jordon Lawrenz
JORDON LAWRENZ

Jordon Lawrenz serves as the Eastern United States College Recruiting beat writer On SI. Jordon is an accomplished writer covering the NFL, MLB, and college football/basketball. He has contributed to PFSN’s and Heavy’s NFL coverage. Having graduated from the University of Wisconsin - Green Bay with a Sports Communication and Journalism degree, Jordon fully embraced the sports writing lifestyle upon his relocation to Florida.