Michigan State got bad news on the football recruiting front Monday, but they also got some potentially great basketball news.
According to ESPN's Jeff Borzello, five-star forward Jaren Jackson is taking an unofficial visit with the Spartans today.
Five-star forward Jaren Jackson tells ESPN he will take an unofficial visit to Michigan State today. Visited Purdue last week.
— Jeff Borzello (@jeffborzello) August 8, 2016
Jackson, a 6-10 220-pounder out of La Lumiere School (IN), is ranked by 247 Sports as the 26th-overall prospect in 2017 in addition to being the seventh-best power forward. His current 247 Crystal Ball has Maryland getting all eight picks, but we've still got a ways to go until Jackson makes a decision, which may not come until the spring.
Michigan State, Indiana, Notre Dame, Maryland, Illinois, Michigan, Alabama, Georgetown and Purdue are among the host of schools to offer Jackson.
If Jackson's high school sounds familiar, it's because Brian Bowen goes there as well.
Fresh off his gold medal for the U17 USA national team - welcome to the #LaLuFamily Jaren Jackson Jr! #aLLin pic.twitter.com/ux1ldE5Zi0
— LaLumiere Basketball (@LaLuBasketball) July 14, 2016
Bowen is a five-star wing who's viewed as one of, if not the likeliest commitment for the Spartans in 2017.
5-star wing Brian Bowen is an ELITE scorer! New mixtape: https://t.co/sk5Up44FsY @20tugs pic.twitter.com/35DAknhlx7
— Scott/Ballislife (@BallisLifeCHI) May 9, 2016
LLS is going to be a monster team loaded with high-major talent, and most of them have Big Ten ties.
La Lumiere projected starters next year:
— Jordan Divens (@HSHoopsElite) July 14, 2016
6' 10" Jeremiah Tilmon
6' 10" Jaren Jackson
6' 7" Brian Bowen
6' 3" Jordan Poole
6' Tyger Campbell
Jeremiah Tilmon, a 6-10 power forward, is a five-star pledge to Illinois for 2017. Jordan Poole, a 6-3 point guard, is a four-star Michigan commitment in 2017.
Tyger Campbell is someone to watch for Michigan State. The 2019 guard already has 247 Crystal picks for the Spartans. Depending on what Bowen and Jackson do, it's possible as many as three future Spartans are playing on LLS next season.
Hopefully, we’ll at least see Bowen and Jackson doing so next year. That would be about as good of a 1-2 punch as any school could get in a recruiting class.