Starting Lineup
Lourawls “Tum Tum” Nairn Jr.
This is the one position where there’s controversy over who’s going to start. It could go either way, but Tum Tum gets the edge for now due to his senior and captain status. He’s by no means an offensive player, with his career high being only 13 points. He’s a steady ball handler, though, with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 3.3. With the offensive talent in this lineup, a distributor might be the best option.
Joshua Langford
A former top-30 player coming out of high school, Langford struggled at times to get things going last season. In 21 mpg, he averaged just 6.9 ppg with a season high of 17 against Nebraska. He did shoot over 40% from deep last season and a breakout campaign could be coming.
Miles Bridges
Dubbed by some as the preseason national player of the year, Bridges comes in with lofty expectations. These expected are well-founded as the Big Ten freshman of the year last season averaged 16.9 ppg and 8.3 rpg. His 33 points against Purdue broke the school’s single game record by a freshman held previously by Magic Johnson. He has very few weaknesses, shooting over 50% from the field and 40% from deep.
Jaren Jackson
Ranked No. 8 by 247Sports Composite, this McDonald’s All-American is a 6’11” forward who can do it all. Jackson, combined with Bridges, is a player who can send Michigan State to the Final Four if the hype is real. Jackson fits perfectly as a future NBA players, so Michigan State fans should enjoy him for his likely one-year stay.
Nick Ward
The 6’8″ center was a bit of an enigma last season. When the former top-50 player was on, he was unstoppable in the conference. When he was off, he was a liability on the floor, hence his only 20 mpg. He started 21 out of 35 games last season and with the return of the veterans along with Jackson being able to play the five, Ward’s leash will be short.