What to Expect from MSU's Julius Avent During Freshman Season

One big thing that can make this incoming recruiting class for Michigan State basketball special is its depth.

Getting four four-star recruits in one cycle is great, but all of those players are on the higher end of the four-star spectrum. Power forward Julius Avent is, technically, the lowest-ranked recruit in the Spartans' 2026 high school class that is ranked third in the nation. Avent is still all the way up at No. 81 overall in the class and 13th among power forwards, according to the 247Sports Composite.

What Avent Brings to MSU

Bergen Catholic #0 Julius Avent, Ridgewood #23 Tyler Nesland and #4 Johnny Jackson. Ridgewood boys basketball hosts Bergen Catholic in a game on Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025. | Anne-Marie Caruso/NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The measurables for Avent open up some very interesting possibilities. He's listed at a pretty standard 6-foot-7 or 6-foot-8 for his position, but his wingspan is all the way up at 7-foot-3.

Sometimes, guys whose arms are that long can look a little clumsy whenever they dribble the ball. Avent looks pretty comfortable, though. He's already got some guard skills and can generate some offense for himself off the bounce. Avent is also a decent enough shooter that I think Tom Izzo will give him the thumbs-up to shoot some catch-and-shoot threes next season.

There will be some shots Avent takes that Izzo and the staff probably won't want him to go for at the Big Ten level, but that can quickly be adjusted with good coaching and a few learning moments during practices.

Either way, Avent's versatility and mobility at all three levels make him a high-upside prospect, in my own opinion.

Some parts of Avent's defense will need some improvement. Despite his height and great length, Avent only had six blocks in 15 games during the most recent EYBL season. He had his fair share of steals, averaging 1.5 of them per game, but that won't project as much to the next level, where players get better at dribbling and keeping the ball away from Avent's long arms.

Gaining some explosiveness would also do Avent some good. Izzo wants his players to move as quickly as possible laterally to avoid having to switch so much and to give opponents mismatches. Avent will need to improve on that to get some additional playing time and avoid having to defend smaller, quicker guards on the ball.

Final Projection

Figuring out the power forward spot will be a bit tricky for MSU next season. There is a chance that high-flyer Coen Carr could shift back over to the four next year, and Cam Ward could make a jump after making an impact during his freshman season. Rising junior Jesse McCulloch could also hover around that spot, too.

Redshirting Avent could be a possibility. As the roster stands right now, assuming the Spartans add a center in the portal, all 13 scholarship players on the team will be guys potentially good enough to get minutes. Two or three guys are going to have to be left out of the regular playing group. Sitting Avent and giving him an extra year to learn and develop could do some good long-term, even though I think he could be ready this coming season.