FanPost
2012 Basketball Recruiting Hotlist
(Bumped. - Pete)
It's already time to start looking ahead to who might be suiting up as freshmen in the Green & White for 2012. That season may seem years away (it is!) but Tom Izzo and staff are already working hard to scout players and considering which young men get offers extended to play basketball at Michigan State. There are numerous MSU targets to talk about including highly regarded in-state players like Javonte Hawkins and Matt Costello as well as elite regional ballers like Gary Harris and J.P. Tokoto. Because it's only early June, the list is probably going to be highly subject to change and I'll continue to add players and update news/scouting. Summer is a particularly active time especially for the soon-to-be juniors.
You'll also notice a lack of rankings. Major recruiting services have not widely ranked players from this class yet so it’s hard to get a pulse for what national analysts are thinking. This summer is also when many teams will be extending more official offers to this batch of players so we'll have a better clue who Coach Izzo's priority targets are. For example, Indiana guard Gary Harris just received an offer from MSU last week. Also, Michigan State is hoping for its first verbal of 2012 from Kenny Kaminski later this summer so that means 2012 recruiting is here, ready or not!
As always, this is being assembled by an amateur, non-insider so any analysis is meant for informational purposes for fans and is neither exhaustive of all MSU targets nor definitive in any scouting analysis.
Michigan State is looking at three scholarships available to replace Delvon Roe, Korie Lucious, and Draymond Green. Because Coach Izzo only has two current commitments for 2011, it's hard to gain a true appraisal of precisely what positions the team might need to fill out the roster. Also, it's highly possible that MSU could pass one of its four 2011 scholarships down the line to 2012 based on the wealth of in-state talent and elite Midwest prospects. In particular, I wonder about the future of the point guard position. Is the potential of Dwaun Anderson and Brandon Kearney as ballhandlers bright enough to pass on a true PG in both 2011 and 2012 until Cha Cha Tucker (already a standout Lansing PG and MSU connected) arrives in 2013? Are any point guard targets in 2012 Spartan caliber players? Both of these are currently open questions.
This is speculating well out of my depth but people always wonder about rankings and where these players might end up. Without a doubt, J.P. Tokoto is already a full-fledged, 5-star elite recruit. When the new, more thorough rankings come out, I would except that Gary Harris and Jordan Hare will both receive high positions. Harris is viewed as having excellent scoring ability and is often one of the best players in the gym whenever he shows up. Hare has received an incredible amount of early attention from high D1 schools and he’s got size and a wingspan that say "NBA." Also, Javonte Hawkins, Matt Costello, and Kenny Kaminski should find their way somewhere into the top 100. The rest are complete question marks to me.
To put my own cards on the table, I would like to see MSU get::
1. Kenny Kaminski to provide that rare inside/outside game as a combo forward.
2. One of the standout wing players (Hawkins/Harris/Tokoto).
3. One of the two major Michigan big men (Costello/Hare).
If MSU only takes three in 2011 and has a bonus scholarship, Izzo could double up at the wing or post positions and take another player.
Point Guards
|
CHRIS HARRISON-DOCKS
|
|
via media.scout.com |
RAY LEE |
Wings
|
|
KENNY KAMINSKI (MSU Verbal) Of all the players on this list, Kaminski’s recruitment is the closest to being over. Depending on your source, he is announcing a decision between MSU, Indiana, and OSU at either the end of June or July. He has confessed that MSU is his preference right now and where he’s "looking to go." Known for his versatility, Kenny could be seen as the next Raymar Morgan – a player who is equally effective in the post or on the perimeter. He is a marksman out to 22 feet but also possess moves to work to the basket from the inside. Kenny committed to Michigan State on July 31st, 2010.
|
|
via blog.mlive.com |
JAVONTE HAWKINS
|
|
|
GARY HARRIS Harris will probably be considered an elite national prospect by the time 2012 recruits are thoroughly ranked. According to IndyHoops, he already has offers from Illinois, Notre Dame, Xavier, Minnesota, Cincinnati, Indiana, Ohio State, Butler, and others. When asked about MSU, he said "It's a high interest, I like the school a lot. I like Coach Izzo, I like the program and it's a great school and I'm very interested." Harris is a major scorer and could develop a PG/combo game as the sort of player who controls the offense and demands the ball in his hands. He received a lot of attention for a 36-point outburst at the Adidas May Classic. Toughness is probably not a concern as Harris is also a football player and being considered by some as a potential dual sport athlete. According to Evan Daniels of Scout, MSU offered Gary a scholarship during an early June unofficial visit so one could presume him to be an MSU priority.
|
via www.umhoops.com |
DENZEL VALENTINE (MSU Verbal)
A player with a high basketball IQ. St8izGr8 of lifeinlansing.com watched him in multiple performances at SPIECE and made statements reminiscent of Draymond Green. St8 described Valentine as a real "basketball player" without a true position who a coach may be able to run his offense through even if DV isn’t naturally a guard. Geoff Kimmerly, the Prep Sports Editor of the LSJ, ranked him the no. 2 Lansing area player for next season behind only LaDontae Henton, a senior. According to multiple sources, Denzel was offered a scholarship by MSU at the beginning of August, 2010. |
|
via media.scout.com
|
J.P. TOKOTO (North Carolina Verbal) MSU’s earnest involvement with J.P. Tokoto is another piece of evidence to dispel the idea that Tom Izzo does not pursue "elite" five-star players. J.P. is already considered a consensus Top 10 player in his class. It’s been reported that MSU has made a commitment to recruit him with full-force, as has their arch nemesis North Carolina. In addition to Harris and Kaminski, Tokoto is one of the players who already possesses an MSU offer. J.P. has talked about a Summer 2011 decision and, in the meantime, he should be part of an active, national recruitment with all the usual suspects involved (Duke, UNC, Kentucky, etc.). Everyone who sees him marvels at the smoothness and effortless looking athleticism with which he plays the game. It is really something to watch. Check out this video. It’ll make you a believer.
|
Bigs
|
|
MATT COSTELLO (MSU Verbal)
|
|
JORDAN HARE
|
|
via media.scout.com |
SEAN SHELDON More of a sleeper at this point, Steve Bell has mentioned him in the same sentence as Matt Costello which says something for one scout’s appraisal. He has since popped up on the Scout and ESPN radars as well. Someone to keep an ear out for and see what develops.
|
|
.
|
AUSTIN BURGETT (Notre Dame Verbal)
|
This is a FanPost, written by a member of the TOC community. It does not represent the official positions of The Only Colors, Inc.--largely because we have no official positions.
Recent FanPosts
- My season preview of the Spartan offense
- Video: Michigan State Commit Damion Terry Big 33 Highlights and Interview
- Video: Michigan State Commit Delton Williams Big 33 Highlights and Interview
- Keith Appling Misses the Cut, Again
- MSU Basketball Recruiting Outlook for 2014 class, my take
- MSU Week at OTE
- Breakout Year for the Offense?
- Who's really more talented?
- Who should round out the starting 5?
- In light of Theo Pinson's commitment to UNC; my best guess as to MSU BBall recruiting landscape for 2014
There are 43 Comments. Load Now.
Shortcuts to mastering the comment thread. Use wisely.
C - Next Comment
X - Mark as Read
R - Reply
Z - Mark Read & Next
Shift + C - Previous
Shift + A - Mark All Read
Comment Settings
Live comment alert: Hide it!
Comments for this post are closed.