Michigan State Basketball Expanding 2027 Recruiting Board
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Michigan State basketball is beginning to broaden its search for 2027 recruits.
The Spartans have recently sent out a few more offers and begun setting their sights on some other prospects. MSU has also reportedly set a visit with high 4-star point guard Jaxson Davis for Oct. 1. Here's a quick breakdown of some other recent recruiting headlines for Michigan State's basketball program:
Antonio Pemberton Offer
Davis isn't the only point guard Tom Izzo and his staff are recruiting. The Spartans sent out an offer to Antonio Pemberton back on July 12. Pemberton is pretty highly touted and is currently ranked 37th overall in the class of 2027, per the 247Sports Composite. He also ranks 10th among point guards and is the top overall prospect from Massachusetts.
Plenty of other schools have also sent offers to Pemberton. He's got reported visits set up with Utah and Marquette, but offers have also come from Michigan, Kansas, Iowa, UCLA, Washington, Rutgers, Georgetown, Xavier, Auburn, and several other high-major schools.
Point guard certainly seems to be one of the needs for MSU this cycle. Izzo is probably imagining that the 2026-27 season will end up being Jeremy Fears Jr.'s final season in college, even though Fears will have the option to return next spring. Still, Fears dipped his toes in the NBA waters this offseason, and he came closer to going all the way in with the pros than most were expecting.
Pemberton, Davis, and Joshua Tyson are the three names Michigan State has seemed to have circled thus far at point guard. Davis was the first recruit in the cycle to set an official visit to East Lansing, but it's probably going to be a few more months before the word "commitment" gets thrown around about anybody.
Jayon Connor Offer
Another recent offer went to Jayon Connor, who announced his offer from the Spartans on social media on Tuesday. Connor is a 6'7" power forward out of Lewisville, N.C., ranked 99th overall in his class on the 247Sports Composite. He's 16th among those at his position and third among players from North Carolina.
Some of Connor's other notable offers up to this point include Houston, UConn, Illinois, Tennessee, USC, Texas A&M, Vanderbilt, Clemson, Virginia Tech, and Wake Forest. This summer has been massive for Connor, as he's gone from being unranked last month to being in 4-star territory ahead of his senior season in high school.
The competition to land Connor is only going to get stiffer as he continues to climb the rankings and land on more teams' radars. As for why Connor has risen in the charts, plenty of that has to do with a high motor, decent athleticism, a serviceable jump shot, and a decent handle for a 6'7" power forward.
Looks at Kamsi Awaka
Michigan State has also gotten some in-person looks at center Kamsi Awaka. Both Izzo and lead assistant Doug Wojcik watched Awaka play last week during the 3Stripes Select Basketball circuit. Awaka hasn't received an official offer from the Spartans yet, but getting multiple looks from the staff during games is certainly a sign that one could be coming soon.
Awaka stands at 6'8" and about 235 pounds and is coming out of Blairstown, N.J. He's another 4-star recruit ranked 60th overall in his class, as well as ninth among centers. Awaka is the top prospect coming out of New Jersey, where MSU just got incoming freshman Julius Avent (Jasiah Jervis wasn't too far off in the greater New York City area).
Jaydn Jenkins is the only center in the 2027 class thus far that has gotten an offer from MSU. He's ranked 45th overall in the class and eighth among centers. Jenkins currently stands at 6'10" and 220 pounds and is from Warminster, Pa.
Interesting Positioning of MSU's 2027 Class
Just how busy Michigan State gets with this recruiting class will be interesting to watch. That's largely because no scholarship player on the Spartans' 2026-27 roster will be on expiring eligibility after the NCAA adopted its new "5-in-5" eligibility model. Coen Carr and Anton Bonke would be in their final year under the old system, but they've now been guaranteed the option of a fifth year.
This means, theoretically, MSU could just run back the same roster in 2027-28. The odds of that happening, of course, are quite low. If Michigan State lives up to its high preseason expectations, at least one or two players are going pro, and the transfer portal always feels bound to take another guy or two away every year.
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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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