Michigan State Recruiting: 5-star SG Gary Trent Jr. picks Duke over MSU

Michigan State recruiting missed out on five-star shooting guard Gary Trent Jr. on Thursday when he picked Duke.

It shouldn’t have been much of a surprise for Tom Izzo, but Michigan State recruiting missed out on five-star shooting guard Gary Trent Jr. Thursday. The Apple Valley, Minn., native committed to Duke over the Spartans and UCLA on ESPNU.

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National Signing Day brought plenty of commitments but the Spartans got their good news on Wednesday when both Jaren Jackson Jr. and Xavier Tillman faxed in their Letters of Intent, officially making them Spartans.

Adding Trent Jr. would have been a huge win for the 2017 class and it would create the discussion of whether it’s better than what the Spartans brought in with the 2016 group.

However, he had been a Duke lean for some time and the commitment to Coach K was expected. He is from the same hometown as former Duke point guard Tyus Jones who won a national title with the Blue Devils a couple years back.

Releasing a final three of Duke, Michigan State and UCLA and visiting East Lansing last, it looked like the Spartans had a legitimate shot to land him. He came away and said that his visit was “unbelievable” and he had developed relationships with the current players and Izzo.

Duke was the program to beat and he fits in well with that system. Not a surprise to see him pick Duke, but many were hoping for a Jabari Parker-like surprise. He is the 11th-ranked player in the 2017 class.