One Thing To Like About Every MSU Freshman After Moneyball

HOLT, Mich. -- The Moneyball Pro-Am is just a nice taste of basketball several months before the season starts. Alas, it is a unique opportunity to catch Michigan State's newest additions in action.

A big reason the Spartans have so much preseason hype is their recruiting class. MSU's four top-100 recruits make up a class ranked No. 5 in the country, per 247Sports. All four of them were in action last week at the Moneyball Pro-Am, with there being no games this week for the Fourth of July. Here is what I liked the most about each freshman from the first week at Holt High School:

Jervis: All-Around Offensive Versatility

Jasiah Jervis is probably going to be the freshman who plays the most right away for Michigan State. He's the highest-rated prospect in the class at 31st overall on the 247Sports Composite, and the Spartans are hoping he's the two-guard they were missing last season.

The borderline 5-star rating that Jervis had coming out of Archbishop Stepinac certainly seemed to hold up during his first two Moneyball games. He's the event's leading scorer thus far with 71 total points in two games. Jervis scored 27 points in his first pro-am game last Tuesday, and he then dropped 44 (the single-game high for the event through Week 1) two days later.

MSU needs a scorer in its backcourt to complement Jeremy Fears Jr. badly. Jervis is a good enough ball-handler that he'll probably be the Spartans' third point guard this year and can create offense for himself at all three levels.

Sometimes, a team needs somebody who can just go get a bucket. Jervis, as a 6'4" combo guard, can be that type of player Michigan State can turn to in sticky situations or clutch spots.

Medlock: Jump Shot

Speaking of a player who can create their own offense, point guard Carlos Medlock Jr. is certainly in that camp. He can certainly be crafty at all three levels as well, but his jump shot has specifically been the thing that has impressed me the most.

It's a shot that always feels like it's going in. Medlock only played on opening night before sitting out the second game with what appeared to be a minor issue with his hamstring. He dropped 22 points during that lone game thus far, which was against Jervis and Team Faygo.

One moment stood out during that game. Medlock and Jervis basically went 1-on-1 at one point, with Medlock beginning with the ball on the left wing. Jervis played some pretty good defense and ultimately forced Medlock into a high-difficulty fallaway shot from the right elbow. Medlock drilled it and made it look so much simpler than it was.

There is just a bit of an "it" factor with Medlock. He's used to having to find creative ways to score at 5'11", which has led to him potentially having a deep bag and one of the smoothest jump shots on the team.

Taylor: Passing Ability

The 7'1" Ethan Taylor isn't the most polished freshman in the class. He'll get some minutes this season as one of Michigan State's backup centers and has a very high ceiling, but Taylor still seems to be a bit raw as a prospect.

What is already there is Taylor's passing. The lack of real organization allows players to try some things they wouldn't try in an actual game. Taylor has shown a real knack for those difficult crosscourt passes, though.

He probably won't be throwing 80-foot passes come November, but having a big who can potentially start a fast break with a great outlet pass is valuable. Taylor's rebounding numbers should be good with his height. His teammate during the pro-am is also Fears. With them on the court together, some possessions may be quite quick.

Avent: Controlled Physicality

The player who probably increased their stock the most is Julius Avent, the lowest-ranked freshman in the incoming class. His 70 total points are just one behind Jervis's total for the most at the pro-am through the first week.

Avent's scoring outbursts haven't been the thing that has intrigued me the most, though. He also just seemed to play like a very mature player for somebody his age. Avent relies on his physicality a fair bit to get looks at the rim and in his mid-range game, but he doesn't get too physical.

It would be pretty easy for plenty of younger players and freshmen to start lowering their shoulders when backing somebody down in the post. Avent does a good job of keeping his frame square, though. He doesn't get frustrated and lose his technique if he doesn't gain any ground.

That's a nice sign of Avent's composure and coachability at this level. The scoring numbers are great, too, but I still liked what I saw when I looked a bit closer.

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