Miles Bridges will return to Michigan State for sophomore season

Miles Bridges confirmed on Thursday that he will return to Michigan State for his sophomore season, bypassing the NBA draft despite projecting as a lottery pick this year.

The Flint, Mich. native joined Tom Izzo's program as the eighth-ranked player in the class of 2016, and the third-best small forward in the country.

"I have some unfinished business here," Bridges said in a statement. "I'm just saying I wanna stay.

He starred in his first season with the Spartans, scoring 16.9 points and grabbing 8.3 rebounds per contest. Due to major injuries along the Michigan State frontline, Bridges was forced to play power forward for the majority of the season, instead of the small forward spot he will play at the next level.

The news will be met with celebration by the Spartan faithful, including Izzo, who couldn't have expected this at the start of Bridges' freshman campaign.

"I didn't recruit him to come back," Izzo said. "My job is to help him do what's right."

Bridges' return gives the Spartans a loaded roster for 2017-18 featuring fellow standout freshmen Nick Ward, Joshua Langford, and Cassius Winston.