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Breaking down the Michigan State basketball roster
Chris Solari, Detroit Free Press 9: 56 p.m. November 10, 2016Michigan State basketball coach Tom Izzo and freshmen Miles Bridges, Joshua Langford and Nick Ward discuss MSU's upcoming opener against Arizona. Video by Chris Solari/ DFP
Michigan State's Miles Bridges drives against Northwood during the first half of an exhibition Thursday, Oct. 27, 2016, in East Lansing .( Photo: Al Goldis, AP)
Free Press boasts scribe Chris Solari breaks down Michigan State's roster for the 2016-17 season :P TAGEND PROJECTED STARTERS
PG TUM TUM NAIRN
5-10 junior
Nairn went healthy over the summer after dealing here plantar fasciitis that shut him down for seven games last-place season. The lightning-quick time picket is a recalling captain and the team's psychological president, but he needs to produce more offensively to stay in the starting group. Nairn started MSU's firstly 18 tournaments last-place season, averaging 4.1 extents, 4.5 assistances and 1.4 backlashes in 24.1 times. Following his injury, he came off the bench and averaged 0.6 extents, 0.4 backlashes and 1.1 assistances over 8.9 times a game in MSU's final 10 contests.
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G ERON HARRI
6-3 fifth-year senior
Harris became a lock-down guard out of necessity last-place season, his first after conveying from West Virginia where "hes spent" two seasons as a primary scoring alternative. Coach Tom Izzo said he expects Harris to be his team's contributing scorer this season, with slew of filming ability to go with the type of rebounding toughness and sporting ability MSU's coach enjoys. Harris showed that offensive capability to take over a game while Denzel Valentine was out, averaging 16.8 extents in a five-game starting stint.
Michigan State Spartans freshmen Nick Ward( 44 ), Cassius Winston( 5 ), Joshua Langford( 1) and Miles Bridges( 22) pose for photos during media epoch at the Breslin Center in East Lansing on Thursday, Oct. 20, 2016. Nate Smallwood, DFPFullscreen Michigan State newcomer Miles Bridges constitutes during media epoch at the Breslin Center in East Lansing on Thursday, Oct. 20, 2016. Nate Smallwood, DFPFullscreen Michigan State Spartans freshman picket Cassius Winston answers questions during media epoch at the Breslin Center in East Lansing on Thursday, Oct. 20, 2016. Nate Smallwood, DFPFullscreen Michigan State Men's Basketball Coach Tom Izzo speaks with members of the media during media epoch at the Breslin Center in East Lansing on Thursday, Oct. 20, 2016. Nate Smallwood, DFPFullscreen Michigan State Spartans elderly Eron Harris answers questions during media epoch at the Breslin Center in East Lansing on Thursday, Oct. 20, 2016. Nate Smallwood, DFPFullscreen Michigan State newcomer Miles Bridges answers questions during media epoch at the Breslin Center in East Lansing on Thursday, Oct. 20, 2016. Nate Smallwood, DFPFullscreen Michigan State Spartans elderly Eron Harris answers questions during media epoch at the Breslin Center in East Lansing on Thursday, Oct. 20, 2016. Nate Smallwood, DFPFullscreen Michigan State Spartans' Kenny Goins answers questions during media epoch at the Breslin Center in East Lansing on Thursday, Oct. 20, 2016. Nate Smallwood, DFPFullscreen Michigan State Spartans' Alvin Ellis III answers questions during media epoch at the Breslin Center in East Lansing on Thursday, Oct. 20, 2016. Nate Smallwood, DFPFullscreen Michigan State Spartans freshman Joshua Langford answers questions during media epoch at the Breslin Center in East Lansing on Thursday, Oct. 20, 2016. Nate Smallwood, DFPFullscreen Michigan State Spartans' Matt Van Dyk answers questions during media epoch at the Breslin Center in East Lansing on Thursday, Oct. 20, 2016. Nate Smallwood, DFPFullscreen Michigan State Spartans time picket Lourawls' Tum Tum' Nairn Jr. answers questions during media epoch at the Breslin Center in East Lansing on Thursday, Oct. 20, 2016. Nate Smallwood, DFPFullscreen Michigan State Spartans freshmen Nick Ward( 44 ), Joshua Langford( 1 ), Miles Bridges( 22) and Cassius Winston( 5) pose during media epoch at the Breslin Center in East Lansing on Thursday, Oct. 20, 2016. Nate Smallwood, DFPFullscreen Michigan State Spartans freshman Miles Bridges constitutes during media epoch at the Breslin Center in East Lansing on Thursday, Oct. 20, 2016. Nate Smallwood, DFPFullscreen Michigan State Spartans freshman Nick Ward constitutes during media epoch at the Breslin Center in East Lansing on Thursday, Oct. 20, 2016. Nate Smallwood, DFPFullscreen Michigan State Spartans freshmen Miles Bridges( 22 ), Nick Ward( 44 ), Cassius Winston( 5) and Joshua Langford( 1) pose during media epoch at the Breslin Center in East Lansing on Thursday, Oct. 20, 2016. Nate Smallwood, DFPFullscreen Michigan State men's basketball instruct Tom Izzo speaks with members of the media during media epoch at the Breslin Center in East Lansing on Thursday, Oct. 20, 2016. Nate Smallwood, DFPFullscreen Michigan State men's basketball instruct Tom Izzo speaks with members of the media during media epoch at the Breslin Center in East Lansing on Thursday, Oct. 20, 2016. Nate Smallwood, DFPFullscreen Michigan State men's basketball instruct Tom Izzo speaks with members of the media during media epoch at the Breslin Center in East Lansing on Thursday, Oct. 20, 2016. Nate Smallwood, DFPFullscreenLike this topic? You may also like these photo galleries: Replay1 of 192 of 193 of 194 of 195 of 196 of 197 of 198 of 199 of 1910 of 1911 of 1912 of 1913 of 1914 of 1915 of 1916 of 1917 of 1918 of 1919 of 19 AutoplayShow ThumbnailsShow CaptionsLast SlideNext Slide
G MATT McQUAID
6-4 sophomore
Izzo passions McQuaid's defensive perseverance and offensive versatility at the picket discern, announcing him a" junkyard bird-dog ." His three-point filming touch made an immediate splashing as a newcomer, draining three of them in MSU's win over Kansas and operating his channel immediately into the playing group. Injuries beginning in December, and McQuaid played the rest of his newcomer season with a double boasts hernia that he had operated on in June and missed much of this summer. Izzo expects him to play a crucial role between the 2 and 3 smudges, and likewise at time picket in a pinch.
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F MILES BRIDGE
6-7 freshman
Perhaps Izzo's most talented incoming musician ever put on a 33 -point, eight-rebound, four-block, three-assist concert in his expo introduction against Northwood. A pogo-stick leaper at both sides of the flooring, Bridges astonished during the two expo tournaments with an display of offensive and defensive romps, presenting a dexterou filming touch from three-point wander and hammering residence dunks with equal freedom. Izzo has been excited with Bridges' unselfish nature and pure ability, planning to give him chances to run the offense at the time or on the break with better-than-advertised ball-handling and decision-making ability.
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F KENNY GOIN
6-6 sophomore
With the harms to Ben Carter and Gavin Schilling, former walk-on Goins becomes an even more integral component to the Spartans' frontcourt. A mas of that comes from his ability to defend and rebound, but he also has shown a ingenuity for timely pole extents with a respectable mid-range fire from the shoulder and baseline. A important issue will be keeping Goins healthy after tolerating two knee harms last-place season and having a minor knee procedure in June that expenditure him much of this summer progress occasion. MSU necessary Goins to play at least 20 times a game eventually.
KEY RESERVES
SG JOSHUA LANGFORD
6-5 freshman
Like Bridges, Langford is a McDonald's All-America who can play three positions offensively and protect four. Izzo already has called him the Spartans' better guard -- high praise from the instruct, let alone for a newcomer. A hamstring injury saved Langford from starting his introduction during expo tournaments, and MSU necessary him to be healthy to help the justification jell around him. Langford can hit jumpers, make passes, direct traffic and shoot from outside. He can rebound well on both the offensive and defensive glass, information requirements for any picket who plays for Izzo.
PF/ C NICK WARD
6-8 freshman
The least-heralded of the incoming freshmen aimed up becoming the most valuable with harms to fellow pole actors Schilling and Carter. That will leave Ward as a potential 20 -minutes-a-game campaigner as he continues to improve his defense and physical conditioning. Ward is a physical large-scale man with a soft offensive impres and speedy feet around the basket, contributing Izzo to liken him to a" poverty-stricken, poverty-stricken man's Zach Randolph ." Another less talked-about part of Ward's game is his interior pole come ability, as well as his glue-like hands to catch pole entering passes.
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PG CASSIUS WINSTON
6-0 freshman
Izzo experimented with dual time picket lineup during expo tournaments, with freshman Winston and junior Nairn presenting contradicting styles with the ball. The predominating Michigan's Mr. Basketball can attack the basket from the time, but he has impressed his new instruct with a better-than-expected outside shot that stops defenses honest. Winston possesses superb tribunal vision and communication knowledge, the come ability to get the ball to his pole actors and others on the flout, and a stop-and-start, herky-jerky savvy with the ball that will have him pushing for a starting occupation by the end of the season.
SG ALVIN ELLI
6-4 senior
Ellis travelled from a tentative shooter with an inability to finish off drives at the boundary to a self-confident deep menace and steady-going attendance by the end of last-place season. The Chicago native will be counted on to provide leadership and more three-point shooting following the departure of Valentine and Bryn Forbes. During last-place season's Big Ten Tournament, Ellis averaged more than 9 times a game, obliged 3 of 6 threes, grabbed five backlashes and dished out three assists.
SF KYLE AHREN
6-5 sophomore
After transgressing his leg and missing much of his junior year of high school, Ahrens opted to not redshirt last-place season for MSU and played sparingly. With the harms to Schilling and Carter, Izzo has moved Ahrens into more of a pick-and-pop character at the 4 thanks to his somewhat surprising sporting ability to attack off the offstage and his steady outside shot. Izzo will need Ahrens to provide solid times off the bench sooner than expected.
SF MATT VAN DYK
6-5 senior
The sporting former junior college musician and walk-on gave a award before the season, following two seasons as a valuable scout team player. The Imlay City native received some times last-place season in blowout prevails with its capability to drive to the basket and finish at the boundary with a deceptively speedy horizontal leaping. He'll need to use that this year perhaps in more significant challenger with the injures at forward.
C GAVIN SCHILLING
6-9 senior
Last year, it was turf toe which ended Schilling's junior season. This tumble, it's a significant knee trauma that has him on crutches. Izzo said the best-case scenario is for the Spartans' tallest and most experienced pole musician to come back during Big Ten performance. When healthy, Schilling owns a strong upper mas, long wingspan, solid stalk and speedy feet to provide a defensive attendance in the decorate. But the biggest subject will be at what degree Schilling can be involved if and when he does return.
PF BEN CARTER
6-9 fifth-year senior
Like Schilling, Carter suffered a preseason trauma that has him on crutches after a second knee surgery in less than a year. The grad assign from UNLV was expected to help fill the void left home when Deyonta Davis left for the NBA. Should he return this season, Izzo hopes to get a pull 4 who enjoys the dirty work of playing gritty justification, charged with the responsibility and giving hard screens.
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