BREAKING: Top Player In America States Reasons For Committing To MSU Basketball Team
In what has become a defining moment for Michigan State basketball, five-star center Ethan Taylor—widely regarded as the top-ranked big man in the 2026 class—has officially signed with the Spartans, and his reasons for choosing Tom Izzo and Michigan State reveal a blueprint for how the Hall of Fame coach continues to win in the modern recruiting landscape.
**The Commitment That Sealed the No. 1 Class**
Taylor, a 7-foot-1, 244-pound center from Link Academy in Branson, Missouri, committed to Michigan State on November 14, 2025, choosing the Spartans over Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Oklahoma, and Oregon . His addition gave Michigan State its first No. 1-ranked recruiting class since 2016, according to 247Sports . The four-man class—Taylor, point guard Carlos Medlock Jr., shooting guard Jasiah Jervis, and forward Julius Avent—ranks inside the top five on every major recruiting service .
**Why Taylor Chose Michigan State**
For Taylor, the decision came down to one thing: relationships. During his official visit, Tom Izzo did something that Taylor would later describe as the moment he knew Michigan State was home—they made pizza together .
“I heard that he likes pizza, so him and I made a pizza on his visit,” Izzo recalled . It was a small gesture that represented something larger: the personal, family-oriented approach that defines Izzo’s recruiting philosophy.
Taylor’s family connection to Izzo runs deeper than pizza. His parents were deeply involved throughout the process, and Izzo made them feel like part of the program. “They were unique people,” Izzo said. “What I really love about Ethan is that I think he’s got a personality. I think he has a game that’s going to continuously get better” .
The 247Sports scouting report on Taylor is glowing: “Taylor is a rapidly improving big man with elite physical tools. Measuring at 7-feet with a 7-foot-3 wingspan and a solid frame that is only just beginning to fill out, he has massive size. But he’s also a good athlete for his size who runs fluidly, gets off his feet powerfully, and even has some agility” .
**Jasiah Jervis: The Gary Harris Comparison**
For Jasiah Jervis, the No. 38 overall recruit and a McDonald’s All-American, the decision was about winning culture and family atmosphere . The 6-foot-4 shooting guard from Archbishop Stepinac in White Plains, New York, was heavily pursued by top programs but chose Michigan State for reasons that sound almost old-fashioned.
“From the moment I got on campus, it felt like family,” Jervis told 247Sports. “When I met the players, they welcomed me with open arms. When I met the staff, everybody loved me. They have a great reputation, and the fan love is crazy. Coach Izzo was super passionate and involved throughout my whole recruitment process. They’re a winning program, and I love to win, so we had something in common. I just felt it was a great fit for me” .
Izzo compared Jervis to former Spartan and Milwaukee Buck Gary Harris—a two-way player who can both guard and shoot at an elite level . “I think he’s kind of a Gary Harris type player, one of the rare two guards that can guard it and shoot it,” Izzo said .
**Carlos Medlock Jr.: Coming Home**
For Carlos Medlock Jr., the 5-foot-11 point guard from Wayne, Michigan, who transferred to Link Academy to play alongside Taylor, the decision was about family in the most literal sense .
“My future quarterback and that’s a very important position to me, and this kid had one thing that really stood out to me,” Izzo said. “He actually wanted to be here. He’s from the state of Michigan, his parents see a lot of his games. He’s got two sisters that are incredible. So that made this the family decision” .
Izzo compared Medlock to Kalin Lucas, a former Spartan great known for his toughness and scoring ability . “C.J. is a lightning-quick point guard. He kind of reminds me a little bit of Kalin Lucas as he can really shoot the ball, and I think he’s going to be a very tough defender” .
**Julius Avent: A Legacy Fit**
The final piece of the class, Julius Avent, a 6-foot-7 forward from Bergen Catholic in New Jersey, chose Michigan State after building a connection that spanned generations. Avent’s father played for PJ Carlesimo at Seton Hall and later in the NBA, and Izzo’s assistant, Steve Smith, knew him well .
“Julius is one of those hybrid guys. He can play two or three positions,” Izzo said. “He can defend multiple positions. He can shoot the three. He’s got length. He’s got long arms, and is a pretty tough kid” .
**Izzo on Relationships in the NIL Era**
What makes this class remarkable is not just its ranking, but how it was built. In an era of NIL deals and the transfer portal, Tom Izzo continues to recruit the old-fashioned way.
“I think we just came up with one of our best recruiting classes in years and years and years,” Izzo said after the signings. “In this day and age of transactions, Michigan State is still trying to be a relationship-based program. I’m excited that the parents of these kids had just as much influence on our decision as the kids did” .
ESPN’s Paul Biancardi echoed that sentiment, noting that Izzo’s approach “has remained steadfast even in a changing era of big-money high school recruits and the revolving door of the transfer portal” . The Spartans have taken just five transfers over four years—a remarkably low number in today’s landscape .
“Relationships matter,” Izzo said with a laugh to ESPN. “We found our kind of guys” .
**Looking Ahead**
With Taylor expected to step in immediately following the graduation of Carson Cooper and Jaxon Kohler, Jervis bringing elite scoring and defense, Medlock providing lightning-quick point guard play, and Avent adding versatility at forward, the future of Michigan State basketball looks exceptionally bright .
As the Spartans prepare for the 2026 NCAA Tournament with a 19-3 record and legitimate national championship aspirations, the program’s future is already secured with a recruiting class that could rival the legendary 2016 group that featured Miles Bridges, Cassius Winston, Joshua Langford, and Nick Ward .
For the four young men who signed with Michigan State, the reasons were clear: family, winning, and a Hall of Fame coach who still has his fastball at age 70 .
