MSU Hoops Hosting Multiple Big-Time Recruits for 'Grind Week'

The Spartans have two big recruits on campus this weekend on official visits.

Mar 18, 2026; Buffalo, NY, USA; Michigan State Spartans Head Coach Tom Izzo answers questions during a press conference prior to a practice session ahead of the first round of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Keybank Center. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Football season is getting underway, but Michigan State basketball is also busy building for the future.

Tom Izzo and the Spartans are hosting two big-time recruits on campus this weekend during the program's "Grind Week." This is usually a major point on MSU's recruiting calendar, as program alumni come back and work out with the team during what is probably one of the strongest displays of culture left in college sports.

Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo, center, assistant coach Doug Wojcik, left, react to a play against Louisville during the first half of NCAA Tournament Second Round at KeyBank Center in Buffalo on Saturday, March 21, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Notable confirmed returnees this year include: Mateen Cleaves, Scott Skiles, Draymond Green, Jase Richardson, Zach Randolph, Miles Bridges, Kalin Lucas, Steve Smith, Max Christie, and Jaden Akins. More will probably arrive on campus as the week progresses.

Michigan State will be showing that off to 5-star point guard Antonio Pemberton and 4-star center Jaydn Jenkins. The Spartans don't have a commitment in their 2027 recruiting class yet, but they should have more clarity on where they stand as the program begins hosting recruits.

What To Know About Pemberton

Michigan State's Tom Izzo gives instructions to his team during a game against Rutgers on Thursday, March 5, 2026, at the Breslin Center. | Starr Portice, Michigan State Spartans on SI

Pemberton may be part of MSU's plan for a post-Jeremy Fears Jr. world. Fears will probably be NBA-bound if he takes yet another leap this coming year, and he'll, obviously, be a pretty difficult player to replace. Pemberton would be a pretty good start, though. He's just inside 5-star range at 23rd overall and fifth among point guards on the 247Sports Composite.

Michigan State has a lot of work to do to land Pemberton. He's already visited Tennessee, Kansas, and Creighton, and he also has another visit set up with Marquette. Pemberton is another score-first point guard who is used to putting his own team on his back. Fears and Carlos Medlock Jr. are expected to be a very dynamic duo this year; Medlock and Pemberton would be a very intriguing pair for the 2027-28 season.

What To Know About Jenkins

Northeast's Kyree Williams (0) and Makai Autry (13) try to keep Archbishop Wood's Jaydn Jenkins (32) from a rebound during their District 12 playoff boys' basketball game in Wyndmoor on Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Jenkins would also be a very interesting addition to Michigan State's frontcourt. MSU doesn't have any players there on expiring eligibility (or on the roster in general), but adding to the roster is still very important. Jenkins' list has been cut to five: Michigan State, Xavier, Pittsburgh, Ohio State, and NC State, but a previously scheduled visit with the Wolfpack has reportedly been called off.

The 247Sports Composite currently ranks Jenkins 60th overall in the class of 2027, eighth among centers, and at the top among Pennsylvanian prospects. Jenkins stands at 6'10" and has strong rim-protection skills and a decent jumper.