Advertisement
baseball Edit

MSU sorting through options, in search for starting four

Marcus Bingham Jr. is one of several Michigan State forwards in the mix for a starting job at the four.
Marcus Bingham Jr. is one of several Michigan State forwards in the mix for a starting job at the four. (Associated Press)

EAST LANSING – Michigan State has several options to fill the role of starting four man, but Hall of Fame head coach Tom Izzo is hopeful that one of the contenders for the role will rise up and claim the spot.

“We’ve got a lot of parts, but who is our other forward and what will we do there?” Izzo said after practice on Thursday. “Could we go small and play (Kyle) Ahrens there or (Gabe) Brown there some? We could. Could we go real big? We could.”

Izzo referenced Kyle Ahrens and Gabe Brown, both guards, as possibilities to play the four to emphasize the versatility he has on his roster. And both players, no doubt, could play valuable minutes at the four if the Spartans wanted to play with a four-guard lineup in some instances.

Michigan State’s starting four is almost certain to come out of the group that includes sophomore Thomas Kithier, sophomore Marcus Bingham Jr., freshman Julius Marble, and freshman Malik Hall. Marquette transfer Joey Hauser may also be a possibility if the NCAA were to grant a waiver for immediate eligibility. The Spartans are still waiting to hear if Hauser will be granted eligibility.

With less than a month before the season opener with Kentucky in the Champions Classic, Kithier and Bingham appear to be the frontrunners for a starting role at the four.

And of those two players, Kithier has the best on-floor chemistry with Tillman.

“He has been our most consistent guy there because him and X play really well together,” said Izzo.

Kithier has also been hindered by a minor Achilles strain. That injury has limited Kithier’s availability in practice, and opened the door for others to demonstrate worth.

“It’s nothing that we’re worried about long range, but it has been bothering for a couple of weeks so we gave him a couple of days off,” said Izzo of Kithier's injury.

Like Kithier, Bingham has also impressed Izzo with his play at the four. That said, Michigan State's Hall of Fame coach also likes what he’s seen from Hall, who is the best athlete of the group, as well as Marble, who is more of a throwback four-man.

“Malik has been good,” Izzo said. “Marcus Bingham has been really good, If you look at some of our stats. What we’ve got in Malik is he’s a good athlete. What we’ve got in Julius (Marble) is that he’s kind of like Al Anagonye or Andre Hutson; he’s strong and tough. He just wants to do his job and he doesn’t care about anything else. It’s a treat to have guys like that.”

Bingham has crazy length and a rare skillset for player his size. Bingham also has a reliable jumper and the ability to stretch the floor as a forward. That quality is critical in Michigan State’s offense and gives Bingham as good a chance as any to play a role similar to the one that Kenny Goins had last season, and Jaren Jackson Jr. one year earlier.

“His ability to stretch the floor is effortless,” Tillman said. “He shoots threes effortlessly. It’s like a layup for him if he gets an open three. Also, he is an athletic 6-10 guy who will meet it at the top of the backboard. He can also handle it like a guard. When I talk about guys that can go out and get you a bucket, you can hand it to him and he can make a couple of moves and create space for himself and shoot the pull-up, finishing at the rim, or shoot the three.”

Hall has impressed his teammates with his athleticism and his passing.

“He brings kind of the same aspect (as Bingham), but he’s not as tall,” Tillman said. “Malik is more athletic than Marcus and he’s the type of guy that will have his head at the rim when he’s going for an athletic dunk. But Malik is also cerebral. He is good at making plays. Whereas, Marcus is the play and he’s going to shoot it, Malik can make plays for other people. He can find people and dish it off. He is cerebral in that way.”

Hall, who signed with Michigan State as the No. 50 player in the 2019 Rivals150, was recruited as player that could play multiple positions depending on program need. As a freshman, Hall has played more minutes at the four than the three.

For his part, Hall is comfortable playing wherever he is needed.

“I think (my role) will be wherever coach needs me to be,” said Hall. “He’s talking about me playing the four right now, but if the opportunity comes up and I have to play the three, we’ll see what happens. I’m just trying to be ready for everything.”

Hauser is a wildcard. If the NCAA were to grant Michigan State’s request for immediate eligibility, Hauser would immediately contend for a starting job.

“I don’t know what is going to happen with it,” Izzo said. “I think we have a good argument. At the same time, you know my feelings on that. I am not fond of transferring and being eligible immediately. But I don’t enjoy playing against other schools that are getting it, and we’re not. Somehow, things need to get evened out.”

WATCH: MALIK HALL REFLECTS ON TRANSITION TO COLLEGE

Advertisement