Michigan State is gonna be scary good next season
That sound you heard Thursday evening was the collective gasp of coaches around the Big Ten, as Michigan State star Miles Bridges announced he's coming back for his sophomore season.
Yep, you heard that right. This guy is coming back to college.
Despite the lure of the NBA lottery, Bridges decided to return to the Spartans for another run at the national championship, and lay waste to the rest of the conference in the process.
Michigan State was already going to be a strong contender to win the Big Ten next year, as Tom Izzo's program will return with all but two players. But with Bridges back on campus, the Spartans have to be considered one of the favorites for the national title.
Izzo's fabulous recruiting class from 2016 will all remain with the program for next season, meaning this production will all be back in the lineup.
| Player | Points/Game | Rebounds/Game | Assists/Game |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles Bridges | 16.9 | 8.3 | 2.1 |
| Nick Ward | 13.9 | 6.5 | 0.4 |
| Joshua Langford | 6.9 | 2.3 | 1.1 |
| Cassius Winston | 6.7 | 1.8 | 5.2 |
With Michigan State expecting to lose Bridges to the NBA draft after one season, Izzo pounded the pavement on the recruiting trail and has already landed commitments from five-star power forward Jaren Jackson and four-star power forward Xavier Tillman, ranked 16th and 75th overall in the country for the class of 2017.
Their addition will be critical for a team that was forced to play the 6-foot-7 Bridges at the power forward position due to frontline injuries. Michigan State got beat up on the boards last season with Nick Ward being the tallest player at 6-foot-9.
The Spartans are also still in the mix for five-star recruits Brandon McCoy and Brian Bowen, which could give Izzo one of his best classes ever. Add in the potential return of seniors Ben Carter and Gavin Schilling on medical waivers, and Michigan State will be absolutely loaded.
Bridges will finally get to play his desired small forward position, and could easily work his way into a top-three spot in the 2018 NBA Draft with a strong season.
Add his pedigree to the returning talent and allow them to be coached by the genius that is Tom Izzo? That's as close to a championship formula as there is in college hoops.