Morning Power Bar: Sparty On the Verge of Something Special

The great Tom Izzo once said, “Players play, and tough players win.”

The man who has been at the helm of the Michigan State men’s basketball program for 22 years knows exactly what type of players he needs to go after while he is recruiting. There is no question that Izzo not only aims for the most talented high school prospects in the nation, but also the most resilient.

Two elite prospects are on the fence about selecting East Lansing, Michigan as their next destination. This won’t be the first time that Izzo battled with programs like Arizona, UCLA, and other powerhouses that tend to have a bit of an upper hand when it comes to landing the prominent recruits. However, receiving commitments from No. 6 ranked Brandon McCoy, and No. 13 ranked Brian Bowen, will be a true test for the Spartan coaching staff.

With the high school basketball season now underway, the recruiting circuit is buzzing, and we will be hearing a lot more about commitments as the days roll on.

Michigan State is a Big Ten school that is currently on the hunt, while Rutgers has already begun to establish their 2018 recruiting class.

Grab a cup of coffee with your morning power bar, and begin your Friday morning by reading up on the hottest headlines that have been circulating in the Big Ten recruiting network.

Brian Bowen & Brandon McCoy Have East Lansing On Their Minds

Big men are beginning to evolve before our eyes, and it is almost difficult to come across a traditional post player that sticks to his roots on the block.

Michigan State is one of the collegiate programs that have stuck with the traditional frontcourt prospects, and Brandon McCoy sure does fit the classic characteristics of a center.

McCoy is one of the four unsigned prospects out of the top-10 ranked recruits on ESPN’s Top-100 list for the class of 2017. As mentioned above, McCoy is No. 6, and has narrowed down his list of schools to Arizona, Oregon, San Diego State, UNLV, and Michigan State.

The 6-foot-11 5-man has spent his high school career in Southern California, but is originally from Chicago, and grew up supporting the Spartans. After hearing the No. 3 center in the country breakdown of his visit with Sparty, it seems like Izzo and his staff may have the lead in the “McCoy Race”.

“Coming from Chicago I always watched Michigan State when I was younger, and it was just something about Michigan State that I really like,” McCoy told Rivals.com last week. “To have that hall of fame coach recruiting me really hard is an honor, and that is the reason why they are in my top five.”

McCoy has taken an official visit to all of the schools in his top five except San Diego State, which is right down the road from where he attends high school, Cathedral Catholic High School. Look for McCoy to either cut his list down to three schools or even make a verbal commitment, in the near future.

On the other hand, MSU has been heavily recruiting the No. 3 small forward in Brian Bowen. Bowen’s hometown is only an hour and 11 minutes from the Michigan State campus, but the Spartans seem to be taking a back seat to Texas, Arizona, Creighton, North Carolina State, and UCLA.

The 6-foot-7 wingman initially planned on making his college decision this month, but he has yet to make a commitment. It will be any time now that we find out what colors Bowen will be representing next winter.

4-Star Product of 2018 Class Commits to Rutgers

The Scarlet Knights are off to a good start this season with an 11-1 record in non-conference play. Along with the success on the hardwood, Rutgers picked up a big-time commitment from Mamadou Doucoure, our of the 2018 class.

BT Powerhouse’s very own, Sean Nash, broke down the commitment that occurred Wednesday. To read about the commitment more in depth, check out the article here.

Doucoure hails from Our Savior New American, located in Long Island, New York, and has a 6-foot-9 frame. He has been noted to be a forward that can do a plethora of things on the offensive end, especially in the post. Not to mention Doucoure also crashes the offensive glass and is a rim protector on the opposite end of the court.

This commitment from Doucoure will help the Scarlet Knights, as the program continues to solidify itself in the Big Ten conference.

Now that you have refreshed your knowledge on the Big Ten recruiting world, you can continue on with your day.

Check back next week for more recruiting news in the Big Ten.