Big Ten Basketball: Analyzing each program’s 2019 recruiting class

Michigan State has been the most consistently dominant program in the Big Ten in the 21st century. Under the leadership of head coach Tom Izzo, the Spartans have emerged as a legitimate powerhouse both on the court and on the recruiting trail. With regards to this upcoming season, the team is widely regarded as the preseason No. 1 team in the country. Of course, their returning talent plays a major role in this but let’s not ignore the potential impact of MSU’s No. 27 overall 2019 recruiting class.

The headliner of this three-man group is Rocket Watts. A 6-foot-2 combo guard from Ohio, Watts was ranked as the No. 29 overall prospect in the class and is simply born to score. He absolutely fills it up at all three levels and should be an immediate spark-plug scorer off the bench for Michigan State this season. He needs to grow as a playmaker but he will learn a lot about that while playing alongside Cassius Winston.

Malik Hall (No. 61) is the other top 100 prospect joining the program this year. He is a 6-foot-7 combo forward with the ability to impact each game in a variety of ways. He defends and rebounds at a high level and has the potential to score at all three levels. It might be difficult for him to crack the rotation as a freshman considering MSU’s frontcourt depth but Hall is very talented.

Lastly, Julius Marble rounds out the class as the No. 222 overall prospect. He is a 6-foot-8 physical forward with the ability to be a difference-maker inside. He is well-built and boasts a relatively lengthy wingspan as well. Marble might not jump off the page but he should be a glue guy for the team in the future. Marble likely won’t find minutes this season but he is an underrated addition.