Michigan
State
University
(13)
by Jeff Feyerer
Projected Starters
G
5-10
PT%
48.59
G
PTE
-5.74
6-3
PT%
78.41
G
PT%
83.01
F
6-9
PT%
0.00
6-9
PT%
42.24
HS100 AC/AA
78
Eron Harris
PTE
16.32
6-5
F
Lourawls Naim
HS100 AC/AA
Denzel Valentine
SO
NBA
JR
NBA
SR
PTE
26.70
HS100 AC/AA
88
3-AC
NBA
50
PTE
0.00
HS100 AC/AA
26
NBA
PTE
7.17
HS100 AC/AA
NBA
Deyonta Davis
Gavin Schilling
FR
JR
Bench Rotation
F
609
PT%
50.90
G
PTE
17.32
6-3
PT%
65.51
F
G
HS100 AC/AA
87
Bryn Forbes
PTE
13.04
6-6
PT%
0.00
Matt Costello
HS100 AC/AA
Marvin Clark
PTE
0.00
HS100 AC/AA
6-5 Matt McQuaid
PT%
0.00
PTE
0.00
HS100 AC/AA
67
SR
NBA
JR
NBA
SO
NBA
FR
NBA
Last season, Tom Izzo’s Spartans
did what they seemingly always
do in the postseason—exceed
expectations. After being slotted
as a seventh seed in a difficult
region with Villanova, Virginia, and
Louisville, Michigan State emerged
to make their ninth trip to the Final
Four, and seventh during Izzo’s 20year tenure in East Lansing.
With nine of their top 11 players
in minutes played returning and a
pair of key newcomers expected to
slot into their rotation immediately,
the Spartans seem primed for
another run and, perhaps, their first
National Championship since 2000.
No team makes a tougher nonconference schedule in order to
pinpoint potential weaknesses to
improve on. Early season losses
are a small sacrifice in order to get
a clearer view of the big picture.
During the rugged Big Ten schedule,
Coach Izzo attempts to find the
right mix of players for his rotation,
experimenting like a mad scientist,
but also getting most players on his
roster meaningful game minutes.
Unlike many major routinely
successful college programs in
today’s NCAA, Michigan State is
typically defined by an experienced
senior leader they can lean on
during tough points in the season.
From Mateen Cleaves to Draymond
Green, Izzo likes to have an oncourt general that typifies the
toughness he expects from all of
his players. That player in 20152016 will undoubtedly be Denzel
Valentine.
The 6-foot-5 senior was third
team All-Big Ten last season,
averaging 14.5 PPG, 6.3 RPG, and
4.3 APG (all second on the team)
and will look to make another leap
this season. Valentine is a jack-ofall-trades, master-of-none, who can
run the offense or play off the ball
and hit the open 3. He can slash to
the basket on one end and take away
the opposition’s top scorer on the
other with his long wingspan and
defensive instincts while trying to
live up to the preseason hype as a
potential All-American and Big Ten
Player of the Year.
The Spartans will have the
ability to be flexible with the guards
next to Valentine each offering
different skill sets. Dynamic West
Virginia transfer Eron Harris
will be expected to immediately
enhance the Spartans’ backcourt
BBALLBREAKDOWN | 28