Michigan State basketball: Jesse McCulloch likely to redshirt, but Tom Izzo keeps door open

EAST LANSING – Tom Izzo revealed he plans to redshirt Michigan State basketball freshman Jesse McCullouch.

With a caveat or two. And plenty of hype and hope for the future.

“If somebody got hurt or if I don’t like the way someone’s playing,” Izzo said after Monday’s season-opening 81-57 win over Monmouth. “This kid is redshirting because he’s good enough. He’s not redshirting because he’s not good enough.”

McCullouch currently is in a logjam behind big men Xavier Booker, Szymon Zapala, Jaxon Kohler and Carson Cooper in the Spartans’ frontcourt. The 6-foot-10, 240-pound forward did not play in the opener after loggings five scoreless minutes in each of MSU’s two October exhibition games against Division II opponents.

Against Northern Michigan, McCulloch had a rebound, an assist and a blocked shot. Against Ferris State, he missed his only free throw and picked up two fouls but grabbed three rebounds with a block.

“You redshirt people for two reasons. And he is not permanently redshirted,” Izzo said. “Football’s got this rule, they can play in four games, they can play in the bowl game and still be eligible. In basketball, you play two exhibition games and you’re dead. I think we’ve done a bad job as an association figuring that out to a certain extent, so we have to do that right now.”

McCulloch averaged 22.4 points, 14.1 rebounds, 4.3 blocks and 2.0 assists per game as a senior last winter for Lutheran East High in Cleveland. He was rated a three-star prospect and the No. 171 player nationally, according to 247Sports.com’s composite rankings of the 2024 class.

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“It’s really what the team needs,” McCulloch said about a potential redshirt last month at MSU media day. “Whatever coach says, I’m ready for it. If not, ‘hey, I’m just gonna get better by the day.’ That’s all I really care about, just getting better each day. And then eventually as time goes, your time’s going to come. You can’t hide out from it.”

Izzo heaped high praise on McCulloch and his parents, who made the call to redshirt after talking with Izzo over the weekend. He added that if a reversal of the decision comes, it would happen before January.

“He is tougher than nails,” Izzo said. “Talk about a guy that brings some toughness to it. He’s more Al Anagonye, except he can shoot 3s. I could make a point for not redshirting him. … I don’t want to play him four minutes a game and waste his eligibility, because I think he and his family have been one of the loyalist people we’ve had. I ain’t worried about him leaving.”

Izzo, who said he wants McCulloch to get stronger and quicker, also gave two other lofty comparisons for his young big man: NBA stars Draymond Green and Xavier Tillman.

“I’m talking a long time about a guy that I’m redshirting – read between the lines, there’s a reason. I really think this kid has a chance to be really good,” Izzo said. “I mean, he’s in the mold of bigger than Xavier Tillman, he shoots it better. He’s got a decent basketball IQ, maybe not quite as good as Xavier. I’d say the foot quickness, he’s got to get better.

“But he is in that kind of mold, and so I’m looking forward to that, too. It means I’m sticking around.”

That last part will be welcome news for McCulloch, who gushed about his first few months learning from Izzo.

“It’s living up to it and more, to be honest,” he said. “He’s a great coach who coaches with a lot of passion. So just being here in this environment with him as my coach is amazing. I just know I’m gonna get better each day, and that’s all I can ask for out of a coach.”

Contact Chris Solari: csolari@freepress.com. Follow him @chrissolari.

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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan State basketball: Freshman Jesse McCulloch likely redshirting