Why Jasiah Jervis Will Immediately Contribute for MSU

It usually takes a little bit for freshmen to get big roles immediately at Michigan State.

Future one-and-done and first-round pick Jase Richardson didn't get to start until a game in February, and that opportunity happened because Jeremy Fears Jr. got sick. Jordan Scott became a starter in February this past season, too, but there were early games where his minutes didn't reach the teens, including one three-minute outing against North Carolina. The starting point for incoming freshman Jasiah Jervis could end up being higher than that.

Fitting Jervis Into Lineup

Stepinac’s Jasiah Jervis is the Journal News/ lohud Boys Basketball Private School Player of the Year March 26, 2026. | Frank Becerra Jr./The Journal News / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

One of MSU's weaknesses last season was that it never really had a great scoring two-guard who consistently took a lot of responsibility off Fears' plate. Four different players got shots at starting at shooting guard last year, but no one truly stuck.

Three of those players probably or definitely won't be in the running to be starting at the two next season. Trey Fort wrapped up his college career last season, and Divine Ugochukwu is looking for a new school in the transfer portal. Scott is back, but he might be shifting back towards being a small forward.

Jervis has the skillset to be that guy the Spartans were missing last season. He's now at high-4-star as the No. 30 overall recruit on the 247Sports Composite. He's actually one spot short of being a 5-star prospect. His ranking is up that high because Jervis is a capable scorer and shooter who can create his own offense.

Besides Fears, nobody on Michigan State's offense was really doing that last year. Of all of MSU's baskets last season, 67.6% were off assists. That was the second-highest mark in the country. Tom Izzo's teams usually are high up there in that statistic, but there have to be times when a guy can score on his own.

Mar 27, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; Michigan State Spartans head coach Tom Izzo in the first half during a Sweet Sixteen game of the East Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Jervis' Skillset

That's why the Spartans will probably turn to Jervis a fair bit next season. The offseason flowed through Fears too much last season. He's a guy, much more so than Kur Teng, who can get the ball and make things happen. That was something Richardson did as a freshman; he bailed MSU out of a bad possession at least once a game, it seemed.

Jervis probably isn't as crafty a ball-handler or around the rim as Richardson is, but it's the same principle. He averaged 17.4 points per game this past season at Archbishop Stepinac, according to MaxPreps, and was named New York's Gatorade Player of the Year. He made 38% of his three-point shots across his high school career as well.

Add us as a preferred source on Google