Michigan State basketball team interested in elite player Sam Funches

The Michigan State Spartans and Tom Izzo have focused heavily on the classes of 2025 and 2026.

Mostly the targets have been guards or forwards. Point guards like 2026s Jonathan Sanderson and DeZhon Hall, shooting guards like 2025s Trey McKenney and Braylon Mullins. Forwards Jordan Scott, Trent Sisley and Niko Bundalo are top targets in the 2025 class.

What seems to be missing, however, is a big, big man to target Izzo. That could change. According to HS Top Recruits on X, formerly known as Twitter, the Spartans are among the teams that are “in” to see 2026 five-star center Sam Funches.

2026 Top 35 7’0 C Sam Funches (@FunchesSam) tells me the following what happened to him at Augusta Live.

Calm
Kansas
Kansas State
Memphis
Old lady
State of Mississippi
LSU
Louisville
Gonzaga
Tennessee
State of Michigan
Houston
NC stands
New Orleans photo.twitter.com/XH9TSxXcFd

— HS Top Recruits (@HSTopRecruiting) July 19, 2024

The 6-foot-10, 205-pound big has 20 offers, but none from the Spartans. He’s the No. 1 center in the class, the No. 1 player in Mississippi and the No. 21 overall recruit, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings.

Last year at the Team USA U16 Trials, On3’s Jamie Shaw called Funches a “standout.”

“(Funches) is a player to watch as he continues to develop,” Shaw wrote. “The left-hander is already listed at 6-foot-10, has a soft touch from behind the arc and moves well with good length.”

As expected, many schools in the South are taking notice. Funches told 247Sports that within hours of the direct contact period opening on June 15, he heard from schools including Louisville, LSU, Memphis, Alabama, Texas and his two in-state schools, Ole Miss and Mississippi State.

“Mississippi State has been talking to me since eighth grade, so I’ve gotten to know them well,” Funches said. “But I like (Ole Miss head coach) Chris Beard, the way he is. Both of those staffs are really good. It’s going to be a tough decision.”

For Germantown High School last season, Funches averaged 18 points, 11 rebounds and six blocks per game. As for a potential decision, Funches told 247Sports, it will come down to “the relationship with the coaches, how (they) plan to use their bigs.”

Izzo is known for giving his bigs, if they have enough scoring ability, the space to make plays. Perhaps the most dominant modern-day skill big was Jaren Jackson Jr., who in just one year in East Lansing left an indelible impression as a scoring, athletic, three-level defensive big. Funches could fit into that role.

Michael France is Sports Illustrated’s Michigan State recruiting beat writer, covering all things Big Ten recruiting for Spartan Nation. Follow him on Twitter/X@michaelfrancesi for exclusive Spartans recruiting coverage.

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