Michigan State Spartans Offer Rising 2018 5-Star Forward

Michigan State doesn't have a commit in the Class of 2017, but that didn't stop Tom Izzo and his staff from working on the Class of 2018.

The Spartans have recently extended a scholarship offer to Joey Hauser on Thursday. Hauser, a five-star prospect on ESPN and four-star on 247Sports, has been one of the fastest rising players in the Class of 2018.

The 6'8" Wisconsin native made the trip to East Lansing in June, then continued to excel for the Iowa Barnstormers in the summer AAU circuit. Izzo and the staff were in attendance to watch Hauser at the NY2LA Summer Jam in Milwaukee on Thursday, prior to the news of the scholarship offer being released.

Offers have only begun to trickle in for the forward out of Stevens Point, so it could be key for the Spartans to get in the picture early. Marquette has been considered the favorite for Hauser since his brother, Sam Hauser, committed to the Golden Eagles last spring. Sam will be a freshman at Marquette this fall. The University of Wisconsin has also targeted Joey as a top priority in the Class of 2018. Iowa and Northwestern are the other Big Ten schools that have offered Hauser. Bradley, Iowa State and Virginia have also extended offers.

Hauser has the skill-set to fit in any system. At 6'8", he has the handle and stroke to play on the perimeter and take guys off the dribble, while also having the coordination and post moves to get it done down low. Athletic and smooth, he can beat big men down the floor and stick with smaller players defensively.

Hauser averaged 17.6 points per game as a sophomore at Stevens Point, helping the Panthers to an unbeaten season and their second straight state championship. Hauser will get to showcase himself more as a junior after playing alongside his brother and incoming University of Wisconsin-Green Bay freshman Trevor Anderson the past two years. Sam Hauser and Anderson were named co-Mr. Basketball in Wisconsin this spring.

While Hauser could potentially find his way to Michigan State, there was also news for a player who will be on the court this fall. Incoming freshman Cassius Winston was named a finalist for the USA Basketball Men's U18 National Team. The 6-foot Winston was one of 26 players USA Basketball invited to attend training camp in June. The 17 finalists took part in training camp in Houston this week, while the final 12-man roster will be named on Friday. The FIBA Americas U18 Championships will be held in Chile from July 19 until July 23.

Winston is a four-star point guard who averaged 21.9 points, 7.5 assists, 5.0 rebounds and 2.1 steals per game as a senior at the University of Detroit Jesuit High School. Winston also won the Michigan Class A state championship and was named Michigan's Mr. Basketball, the Gatorade State Player of the Year and the USA Today State Player of the Year.