MSU Basketball: Crucial New Roster Additions Ranked by Impact
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Michigan State's more "old-school" way of building its roster is still working.
The Spartans have made it to the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament two seasons in a row, and the standard this team is being held to this coming year is to get over the hump and reach the 2027 Final Four, which will be held at Ford Field in Detroit.
MSU's five new scholarship players are a reason why expectations are so high. Let's rank each of them by their projected impact in their first seasons with the program:
5. F Julius Avent
A big part of what makes this incoming recruiting class so great is that it is feasible for every single member of it to contribute right away. Alas, somebody has to be in last place on this list, and right now, it's probably Julius Avent.
He's the lowest-ranked recruit in the Spartans' freshman class at 89th overall in the class of 2026, per the 247Sports Composite. That's not the main reason I still have Avent in last here, though --- he's actually looked pretty impressive so far during the Moneyball Pro-Am.
It's relatively simple, actually: there may just be too many people in front of him. Avent shifts between small forward and power forward at 6'7", but there are other, more established players at both spots. At the three, Tom Izzo also has Coen Carr, Kaleb Glenn, and Jordan Scott. Both Carr and Glenn can both play the four as well, but Jesse McCulloch can also be in the mix there, too.
Avent has a bright future. I really like what I've seen when I've seen him play at Holt High School these past few weeks. Getting real minutes later on in the season is just going to be an uphill battle for him. Izzo cannot play all 12 scholarship guys every game, and SF and PF are two spots where MSU is already relatively full.
4. C Ethan Taylor
I feel pretty confident in saying that the rest of the newcomers here will get serious minutes right away, so consider there to be a bit of a gap between Avent and Ethan Taylor here.
Taylor was a very sought-after recruit whom Michigan State had to beat out Kansas and some other big-name programs for, but Taylor might need a season before he really blossoms. It's easy to see why he was in that high-four-star, borderline-five-star range. He's 7'1" and looks the part, is a pretty good passer for somebody his size, and he moves pretty well.
Taylor isn't an already-polished prospect who Izzo is going to have start right away, though. He's going to have to compete a bit with McCulloch to make sure he remains the No. 2 option at the five for MSU this season.
The fact that he was made teammates with Jeremy Fears Jr. during the Moneyball Pro-Am, on Team LAFCU feels like a decent vote of confidence, though. McCulloch was paired with Carr on Team Tri-Star Trust.
3. G Carlos Medlock Jr.
Perhaps my favorite player to watch at Moneyball has been Carlos Medlock Jr. He's the local prospect in the Spartans' recruiting class, formerly attending Wayne Memorial High School before spending a season as teammates with Taylor at Link Academy in Missouri.
The issue for Medlock is that he's boxed in a little bit. He's a point guard; Fears is a point guard. That makes things a little bit tough for Medlock, since Fears is going to command and deserve 30-32 minutes a game, perhaps more once March arrives.
Still, Medlock is enough of a force on the offensive end that I think he'll be a real difference-maker during his perhaps limited time on the court. He'll be the change of pace Michigan State has needed at point guard --- Fears brings the changeup as a pass-first player, and Medlock can throw a fastball as a score-first player.
2. G Jasiah Jervis
Nos. 1 and 2 are really close. I think Jasiah Jervis has the potential to wind up being the best newcomer to MSU this season, but that's not the safest bet. Jervis is the top freshman Michigan State is bringing in; he's ranked 32nd overall in his class on the 247Sports Composite.
Jervis becoming the starting shooting guard right away this season wouldn't feel like the biggest surprise. No true freshman has started in Game 1 of their career for the Spartans since Max Christie, but Jervis is the highest-rated guard Michigan State has brought in since... Christie.
If somebody else, like Scott or Kur Teng, starts at first at shooting guard, I don't think it would take long before Jervis becomes somebody who enters the discussion for a starting spot. His offensive versatility is something I think will complement Fears very well, and the lack of versatility at the two is something that was holding MSU back last year.
1. C Anton Bonke
Anton Bonke tops the list here. Again, I was torn a bit between him and Jervis, but Bonke is the only surefire starter for Michigan State this year among the new players. In addition, before nervousness about whether Fears would remain in the NBA Draft or not set in, the No. 1 question about the Spartans' offseason was, quite easily, "What center will MSU get in the transfer portal?"
The answer to that question was Bonke, but that also means a lot is on his shoulders. He's the leader of a group of centers that are all, really, unproven. Taylor still hasn't played a live college game yet, and McCulloch was out of the regular playing group in late February and March last season, so he's still working to cement himself.
What must still be remembered is that Bonke isn't a totally proven player, either. He was mostly playing mid-major competition at Charlotte last season. Bonke was out of the regular playing group the year before that at Providence.
So many eyes are going to be upon Fears and/or Carr to lead Michigan State to the supposed promised land, but we also already know how good both of those players are and can be, especially so with Fears. How Bonke adjusts to Big Ten competition will be a huge determining factor in whether MSU will be a national contender or not.
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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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