NEWCOMERS TO WATCH
With 360-degree and between-the-legs dunks during local Pro-Am games this summer, Miles Bridges already had Michigan State fans dropping their jaws months before the season.
Spartans coach Tom Izzo even praised Bridges' athleticism after seeing some of his viral YouTube highlights. The springy 6-7, 230-pound McDonald's All-America and potential NBA lottery pick is delivering on the hype in practice enough to make his Hall of Fame coach invite him to Big Ten Media Day in Washington, D.C.
Bridges, a top-10 player in the 2016 class, is the first Michigan State freshman to attend media day during Izzo's long and illustrious tenure, according to the Spartans. And that says a lot about what type of impact the Flint, Mich., native is expected to have this season.
"It was surprising," Bridges said about being invited to media day. "I know Izzo has a lot of expectations for me. And he's going to push me to be the best I can."
Here are some other Big Ten newcomers (listed in alphabetical order) who could make significant contributions to their teams this season:
Tony Carr, freshman, Penn State
Carr was the star point guard on Roman Catholic's Class 4A state championship team. The Philadelphia product has the court savvy and leadership skills to play immediately. The Nittany Lions' best player is junior Shep Garner, also a former Roman Catholic guard. So building chemistry shouldn't be an issue.
Amir Coffey, freshman, Gophers