Following a text message to his Lincoln High School in Gahanna, Ohio, shooting guard Javon Bess became the second commit in Michigan State’s Class of 2014.
“We got a text from Javon saying, ‘I committed to Michigan State,’” Lincoln athletic director Justin Sanford told Diamond Leung of MLive.com on Monday afternoon following the commitment.
The 6-foot-5 Bess held other offers from Dayton, Kansas State, UMass and Xavier among others. This summer he ran with All Ohio Red in the Nike EYBL. During the summer he averaged 11.5 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.3 steals per game playing alongside Ohio State commit Jae’Sean Tate and Purdue commit Vincent Edwards. He as rated as a three-star commit by Rivals.
“He fits the DNA profile of a Michigan State and Big Ten player,” Lincoln High School head coach Tony Staib told Brian Calloway of the Lansing State Journal on Monday afternoon. “He’s tough, he’s a tremendous rebounding guard, he defends really hard and defends really well. He can guard multiple positions. He’s athletic enough to guard a point guard and he’s big and strong and tough enough to guard a small four. Those things right there I think really fit the profile of a Michigan State basketball player.”
Bess joins Sunrise Christian Academy (Kan.) point guard Lourawls “Tum Tum” Nairn in the Spartans’ Class of 2014. The 5-foot-10 Nairn committed on Sept. 26. Tom Izzo has two commits that can help make up for the loss of it’s back court if Gary Harris decides to leave following the season. Keith Appling is graduating, and Harris is being projected as a first round pick in this June’s draft. The Spartans 2014 back court could also improve, as Michigan State is still in the running for four-star shooting guard Devin Booker of Moss Point High (Miss.) and five-star guard James Blackmon of Marian High (Ind.).
