We are quickly coming up on Tom Izzo’s thirtieth season as head coach of the Michigan State basketball team, and what a ride it’s been. Izzo and his Spartans have long been a program known for defense, rebounding, and transition offense. But they’ve also produced some incredibly talented scorers and all-around players during Izzo’s tenure.
Which begs the question: who are the best players that Tom Izzo ever coached?
Below, we ranked the top-40 best players that Tom Izzo ever had the opportunity to coach, some of which may surprise you, or jog your memory. Although, I think No. 1 probably shouldn’t be much of a surprise.
You can check them out below.
40
PG Marcus Taylor
I think Marcus Taylor is the forgotten man in recent MSU history, likely because of an ill-fated early exit to the NBA led to him floundering in Europe and the G-League, but Taylor will go down in history for being the first player in MSU history to lead the Big Ten in both scoring and assists in the same season.
39
PG A.J. Hoggard
And now we already arrive at one of the more controversial players on this list. A.J. Hoggard is certainly divisive, but at his best, Hoggard was a bruising, big-bodies point guard who could breakdown defenses with his aggressive style getting into the paint.
38
SG Kelvin Torbert
I think those post-title teams under Tom Izzo don’t always get the love they deserve, and that goes double for some of those players. Kelvin Torbert was one of MSU’s biggest recruiting wins, and he had a great career, despite having a similar career arc to Joshua Langford where injuries slowed down his development and athleticism. Torbert was an excellent defender, and he also had one of the best shooting seasons in MSU history, shooting 48.4-percent from three in 2003-04. In the modern game, that shot would have been utilized way more.
37
SG Jaden Akins
Jaden Akins is in a position to shoot up this list next year if everything goes according to plan. The super-athletic shooting guard has flirted with the NBA the last two years, but will return to be ‘The Guy’ on the 2024-25 Spartan basketball team.
Akins has incredible bounce, can, at times, be the best defender on the floor, and shoots around 40-percent from three.
36
G Travis Walton
Travis Walton is one of the best defenders in MSU history, and it’s that ability that puts him on this list. The offensive side of the ball was not his focus, although he was a sneaky good playmaker, it was his defense that made him a name in East Lansing.
35
SF Quinton Brooks
Tom Izzo’s first great player, Quinton Brooks was the ‘Robin’ to Shawn Respert’s ‘Batman’, and took over that lead role when Respert graduated, helping Izzo bridge the gap as he took over for Jud Heathcote. He averaged 16.3 points and 5.6 rebounds per game in his final season.
34
PF Joey Hauser
Joey Hauser is one of the best stories in MSU basketball’s modern history. Hauser was forced to sit out a season after transferring from Marquette (something that seems so outdated given the nature of NCAA sports now), and his first season in 2020-21 was an abject disappointment, and he even received a lot of criticism from ‘fans’ on social media. But Hauser kept with it, and by his final season, he shot an incredible 46-percent from three on 4.9 attempts per game.
33
C Matt Costello
Matt Costello wasn’t the biggest, or the most athletic, or the most skilled big. That didn’t matter, he worked hard every play and by his senior year, nearly recorded a double-double per game for the Spartans.
32
PF Nick Ward
Here is an interesting stat for you. From 2001-02, Nick Ward has the highest Usage Percentage in modern MSU history with 31-percent in 2018-19. That year, it felt like Nick Ward touched the ball on every single possession. Ward was a bit undersized and not athletic enough to play modern center, he was really born to be a power forward in a bygone era, but his skilled offense and rebounding was a fixture for the Spartans for years.
31
SG Joshua Langford
Between 2017-2019, Joshua Langford was the quintessential Spartan shooting guard. He shot 40-percent from three and routinely guarded the other teams best guard and made their life miserable. Due to injuries, we never got to see him as a veteran at the height of his abilities, but he will always be remembered as a fan favorite and represents the best qualities of the MSU program.
30
SG Bryn Forbes
Bryn Forbes is on this list for one reason and one reason only: he is arguably the best shooter in MSU history. For a sport that revolves around putting an orange ball through a hoop, the fact that he was probably the best at doing that, from distance, has to count for something.
29
SG Shannon Brown
Shannon Brown will always be remembered for his unique athleticism, but he also developed into a great shooter for the Spartans. He was a rare Tom Izzo player from that era whose talent was so undeniable, he left a year early for the NBA, something that was more uncommon at that time.
28
SG Travis Trice
Travis Trice kind of felt like a do-it-all Swiss Army Knife for MSU until his senior year when he exploded for 15.3 points per game. Another beloved Spartan, Trice may have been the fan favorite on that early 2010’s Spartan team. He is also the career leader in minutes played for the Spartans since 2005 (the first year Sports Reference started tracking that stat), beating Cassius Winston by one minute (some fun trivia for you).
27
F Raymar Morgan
Raymar Morgan was a bucket-getter, plain and simple. But he was also the perfect Izzo player, because he was also a stout rebounder.
26
SG Tyson Walker
Tyson Walker just had one of the most prolific scoring seasons of all-time. In fact, I’d go as far as to say he is one of the top-5 best pure scorers in MSU history. He was also, when healthy, a dogged defender despite his undersized frame.
25
SF Aaron Henry
I wonder how Aaron Henry would be remembered if the 2020 season didn’t end early due to COVID. Henry was the perfect small forward on that team as the third star to complement Cassius Winston and Xavier Tillman. We never got to see that team reach it’s pinnacle, and instead, Henry will be remembered as being the best player on one of the more mediocre MSU teams. His heroics kept Michigan State’s NCAA Tournament streak alive, only to fall to UCLA.
24
C Goran Suton
Goran Suton was a stellar rebounder and reliable post-scorer for MSU from 2005-09.
23
PF Antonio Smith
It is one of the saddest realities in MSU history that original ‘Flintstone’ Antonio Smith wasn’t able to be part of the Michigan State title team. Smith was eponymous with that group of players, and while he didn’t have the most eye-popping stats, it would be criminal to have him any lower on this list for what he meant to Michigan State.
22
PG Keith Appling
Keith Appling’s life and career has been distilled down to a cautionary tale these days, but there was a time, before an injury slowed him down, where Keith Appling looked poised to become one of the great players in MSU history.
21
SG Gary Harris
What happens if Gary Harris doesn’t jump to the NBA in 2014? That’s a big what-if for me, but it’s hard to argue with his decision, as the former Spartan is still getting paid sneaky big contracts as a defensive-minded sharpshooter in the NBA. In college, Harris walked into East Lansing as a 41-percent three-point shooter, dogged defender, and elite scorer.
20
SF Alan Anderson
If you question why Alan Anderson is here on this list, you forfeit your MSU fandom. Anderson is another player who I think would have fit the modern game better than his era. An elite ballhandler as a wing, Anderson often acted as the team’s point guard, which was rare in that time, and he also showed an ability to shoot the ball, but in an era where that wasn’t as highly valued.
19
SG Jason Richardson
Maybe I’m just speaking for myself here, but I often forget that Jason Richardson was a freshman on the 2000 national title team. However, he was just a roleplayer on that squad. It was his sophomore year where he was given the keys and able to thrive. Richardson shot 40-percent from three that season and averaged 14.7 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.2 steals, and 0.8 blocks per game.
18
PF Jaren Jackson Jr.
Jaren Jackson Jr. might just be the best NBA player Michigan State has produced since Magic Johnson. Seriously, think about it. While he only played one year, that was often awkward as Tom Izzo had to relearn how he used big men to make Jaren Jackson Jr. fit on his team, Jackson earns his spot here by being one of the most talented players to come through East Lansing.
17
G Chris Hill
Chris Hill was arguably the best player on a Michigan State team that made the Final Four, but even with all his success, you could argue that he was ahead of his time and would’ve thrived even more in the modern game. One of the best three-point shooters in team history, Hill was also a tenacious defender who racked up steals for the Spartans.
16
C Adreian Payne
Adreian Payne is a type of big man you just don’t see anymore, or that often, in basketball these days. A big, lumbering post player, Payne peaked his senior season, where he averaged 16.4 points and 7.3 rebounds per game before being selected as a first round pick in the NBA draft.
15
C Paul Davis
Boy, do I miss Paul Davis. It’s been a while since MSU had a 7-footer who could score, rebound, and defend in the paint. Davis averaged 13.2 points per game and 7 rebounds in his career, and electrified the Breslin Center in the 2005-06 season, where he averaged 17.5 points per game.
14
PF Andre Hutson
One of the key members of the 2000 title team, Andre Hutson was a dominant interior scorer and rebounder for the Spartans from 1997-2001.
13
C Zach Randolph
Like Jaren Jackson Jr., Zach Randolph was another rare one-and-done for Tom Izzo, before that even became the norm for the Spartan head coach. Randolph’s post game was just too tantalizing for NBA teams to let him stay in school, at a time where that was still at a premium in the league. Randolph scored 10.8 points and added 6.7 rebounds per game while playing under 20 minutes per night.
12
SG Charlie Bell
One of the Flintstones, Charlie Bell was the perfect shooting guard to pair next to Mateen Cleaves, as he was MSU’s best defender and a tenacious scorer.
11
PG Drew Neitzel
As a Grand Rapids kid myself, Drew Neitzel was a huge deal in those parts, even before he came to MSU as the reigning Mr. Basketball. Neitzel was an absolute baller for the Spartans, averaging a stunning 20 points per game his junior season. Neitzel is on the career leaders list for virtually every stat category aside from rebounds and blocks (he was 5’11”, I mean come on).
10
SG Maurice Ager
If I need one bucket, and you tell me I can choose one Spartan from the Tom Izzo era to go get it, Maurice Ager is immediately coming to mind. Ager’s electric scoring almost single-handedly lifted the Spartans to the Final Four in his last season, with his heroics knocking out Kentucky in the Elite Eight that year.
9
SF Miles Bridges
I won’t like to you, it’s hard for me to write about Miles Bridges these days, but as a basketball player, his talent was undeniable. Bridges averaged 17 points and 8 rebounds per game AS A FRESHMAN, before passing on being an NBA draft lottery pick to make one more run with Michigan State in 2017-18.
8
C Xavier Tillman
I can vividly remember how Xavier Tillman Sr. blossomed as a player for MSU between his first and second season, before becoming one of the best defensive bigs in MSU history, if not the best. Tillman was the perfect running mate for Cassius Winston, and I am still sick to my stomach that we didn’t get to see them make one more run at a title in 2020.
7
PF Branden Dawson
As someone who grew up idolizing the ‘Goin’ to Work’ Detroit Pistons teams, I felt like Branden Dawson was my own personal Ben Wallace, but for the Spartans. At just 6-foot-6, Dawson averaged just under 10 rebounds per game as a senior and nearly 2 blocks per game, while rattling the rim with his electrifying dunks.
6
PG Kalin Lucas
Under Tom Izzo, Michigan State has largely been known as a point guard school, with the Spartans seemingly always playing their best ball when they are led by a point guard who has a good relationship with Tom Izzo. Kalin Lucas fit that mold, and more. Lucas was a phenomenal scorer, a good playmaker, and an overall leader on the court, and one of the greatest Spartans ever.
5
SF Denzel Valentine
There was a moment where it felt like Denzel Valentine was destined to become known as the greatest Spartan in modern history. An injury during his senior season clearly bothered him, and despite winning the Big Ten Tournament, I would say that his injury was a factor in MSU’s extremely disappointing loss to Middle Tennessee that year in the NCAA Tournament, which has unarguably tarnished his career at MSU.
4
SF Morris Peterson
What is there to say about Morris ‘Mo Pete’ Peterson that you don’t already know? His senior season was one of the all-time great performances in NCAA history, truly. Peterson scored 16.8 points, while adding 6 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game for the Spartans. He shot 42.5-percent from three as well. Mateen Cleaves gets a lot of the credit for that title, but it doesn’t happen without Mo Pete on the wings.
Morris Peterson was the Big Ten Player of the Year that season, and rightfully so.
3
PF Draymond Green
Have you ever heard of this Draymond Green guy? Another former Big Ten Player of the Year, Draymond Green was also a consensus All-American and the NABC’s Player of the Year in 2012. Green will be remembered for being one of the greatest defenders in NBA history, but he was a star before ever stepping foot on an NBA floor.
2
PG Cassius Winston
You had to know this was coming down to two players. And honestly, if Cassius Winston was able to play in his last NCAA Tournament, which was robbed from him, and won it all, this might go down different. But for now, Cassius Winston sits as the second best player Izzo has ever coached at MSU, in my opinion.
Cassius Winston might not have been a consensus first-team All-American like Draymond Green or Denzel Valentine, but honestly, that feels like a mistake. For those who watched him play, Cassius’ ability was undeniable. It felt like he had the entire court on a string, manipulating everything around him, and always able to go get a bucket when needed. Cassius Winston isn’t just one of my favorite Spartans ever, he’s one of my favorite players ever.
1
PG Mateen Cleaves
Who else could we put here? Mateen Cleaves was the best player on the best team Izzo ever coached, and they have the championship to prove it. Cleaves was a two-time Big Ten Player of the Year, consensus All-American, NCAA champion, and Final Four Most Outstanding Player.
Cleaves was an old school point guard compared to what we see today. He had his best scoring season as a sophomore, but as the team improved around him, Cleaves was focused on setting up his teammates over scoring. He was also a spectacular defender, and improved his shooting by his senior season.
