Michigan State Basketball Team Prioritizes Huge 5-Star 7-Footer

I think it’s fair to say that the Spartans have struggled defending Zach Edey the last few seasons of Michigan State basketball, which is why I’m so glad Edey has moved on to the NBA and that MSU no longer has to deal with him.

But Edey’s recent dominance has me wanting one thing. A massive 7-footer who is simply bigger than everyone else.

Tom Izzo has never sought such a player, but he may be adjusting his behavior in response to Edey’s dominance at Purdue.

According to HS Top Recruits on Twitter, Michigan State is prioritizing the extremely talented Sam Funches.

Funches is a five-star center and one of the nation’s top prospects in the class of 2026. The 7-footer is the No. 21 player in the nation according to 247Sports’ composite rankings. He’s also the No. 1 center and the No. 1 player out of Mississippi.

Michigan State hasn’t had a 7-footer on their roster in a while. That changes this season, as Spartans transfer Szymon Zapala is 7 feet tall. There are also rumors that Xavier Booker has grown an inch since last season and is now 7 feet tall as well.

So maybe Izzo is pivoting and adjusting his roster strategy and wants to go after taller players now. After seeing the amount of success Purdue has had with this over the years, I wouldn’t be mad if that were the case.

Many other elite programs are also said to be after Funches, including Kansas, Gonzaga, Tennessee, Kansas State, Houston, Ole Miss and many others.

As with any five-star player, this will be an extremely difficult recruiting to win. But I have to say, I’m very happy to see Izzo throw Michigan State’s name into the mix.