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2013 Power Forward Gavin Schilling commits to Michigan State

Michigan State added Findlay Prep PF Gavin Schilling today as its first player to the 2013 basketball recruiting class. While the Spartans are likely done recruiting high school seniors, they may yet add another player to fill scholarships in the form of a 5th year transfer.

By intrpdtrvlr
USA TODAY Sports

Power Forward Gavin Schilling chose Michigan State this afternoon over his other finalists UCLA, Minnesota, and Villanova, ending an unfortunate streak of the Spartans missing on three straight 2013 recruits. Gavin is a physical presence who will help safeguard the depth in the frontcourt with Derrick Nix and Adreian Payne departing over the next two years. Adding Schilling now brings the 2013-2014 scholarship count up to 11 and that was a part of recruiting him, IMO. With injuries, transfers, the NBA, and the competitive climate of college basketball, my hunch is that three scholarships were more than the staff wanted to leave open next season. I also wouldn’t be surprised to see MSU add another perimeter player for next year in the form of a 5th year transfer.

Key points about Gavin, bullet style.

  • Schilling came on relatively late in the recruiting cycle. I first heard about him in December when recruiting analyst Jerry Meyer started raving about him. About this time, previous interest started picking up from both Michigan State and Duke.
  • Though he plays in Nevada, he and his family consider Chicago homebase. He’s lived internationally in Germany and France.
  • He plays for Findlay Prep which features numerous other D1 prospects. For the reason, he doesn’t always perform like a focal point of his team’s offense. Those of you searching out full game video might be underwhelmed.
  • In contrast to current forwards like Kenny Kaminski, Adreian Payne, and even Alex Gauna, Gavin is not known for a strong perimeter element to his game. He does his work around the basket and isn’t thought of as a shooter of significant range.
  • As a physical presence, Schilling appears to be B1G ready. Older photographs might not resemble the muscular intimidating looking player he has become as a senior. He’s also a plus-athlete and though he might not fully replace Adreian Payne all at once, he could bring something to the table that MSU will miss in AP’s eventual absence.
  • No one expects Gavin Schilling to be vital to the MSU rotation next year and there’s even a chance he might be a redshirt candidate. However, I’m sure he’s been told that he’ll have the opportunity to compete with KK, Costello, and Gauna for Derrick Nix’s post minutes.
  • For readers who might wonder whether Schilling is a reach for MSU, it’s worth restating that he was also a potential recruit for the Duke Blue Devils if things had broken differently. There’s definitely a belief among elite coaches that Gavin can play at the upper echelon of college hoops.

Like I said, I don’t think MSU is done for next year but they can’t start "recruiting" until players with eligibility have been granted releases. What they accomplished today is to lock up one of the better big men still available at this late stage. Congrats to Coach Izzo and a Spartan welcome to Gavin Schilling and his family. Next step is to get that 2014 class going this summer with a commitment or two from next year’s round of seniors.

Lastly, here's a recent clip video of Gavin Schilling in action:

Gavin Schilling down to Michigan State, Villanova, UCLA, and Minnesota - Findlay Prep (via CLHTV2)



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