Serious Progress: Ethan Taylor Most Surprising to Tom Izzo

“Every man is a vital link in the great chain.” — General George S. Patton

For Michigan State this season, it seems like every man expected to be a cog in the machine is better than ever before.

The depth of Tom Izzo’s Spartans this year is overflowing with talent, oozing size and speed from every nook and cranny of the team.

One of Izzo’s best recruiting classes helps put an exclamation mark on the depth of this squad.

Adding talent in the backcourt and down low, along with retaining core veterans like consensus preseason Player of the Year Jeremy Fears Jr. and the most electrifying player in college basketball, Coen Carr, gives the Spartans plenty to work with. Even sophomores Jordan Scott and Cam Ward bring valuable experience back to the team.

But again, with the amount of talent returning, it’s still the young guys who seem to be piquing many fans’ interest.

Especially a 7-foot-2, five-star center by the name of Ethan Taylor, who, according to Tom Izzo, has been the biggest surprise thus far.

Izzo stated Thursday that Taylor has been Michigan State’s biggest surprise so far, praising his quickness and reach.

Continuing on, Izzo tempered expectations by saying, “As always with big men, the motor’s gotta keep going.” But he went on to say Taylor “...is making some serious progress in that area.”

The five-star recruit has incredible size, but it’s his speed and reach that have been impressing Izzo. Those are qualities Taylor will need to master if he hopes to compete with the big men of the Big Ten during his freshman year.

The Spartans have a lot of moving pieces, and as Fears and Carr alluded to during media days, there are plenty of lineups that can take the court. That means the center position won’t necessarily be limited to a traditional starter-and-backup role.

Fans should temper their expectations, as Izzo is never one to overplay his freshmen, especially over veterans. But for Michigan State, that veteran is also a newcomer: 7-foot-2 center Anton Bonke, who transferred to Michigan State from Charlotte through the transfer portal.

Bonke will have the starting gig to begin the season, but Taylor will have his chances throughout the year. If he can produce at a level that forces Izzo’s hand, then so be it.

Taylor is already surprising his coach in practice, and if he keeps his motor running, he could become a huge piece of the Spartans’ push toward Detroit for the Final Four.