Trio gives Spartans back-to-back top classes

Between games of the season-opening CBE Classic, Tom Izzo received a gift Wednesday morning - signed letters of intent from three players ranked in the top 100 in the nation.

Michigan State's class of 2008 made it official on the first day of the early signing period for high school seniors. Hours before Wednesday night's win over Louisiana-Monroe, Delvon Roe, Korie Lucious and Draymond Green officially became Spartans.

The class, ranked No. 15 nationally by Scout.com, combines with this year's freshman haul - Chris Allen, Kalin Lucas and Durrell Summers - to stockpile MSU with athleticism and skill.

"These are guys who know how to play and are not one-dimensional," Izzo said. "This is two classes back-to-back with incredible athletic ability. ... They're athletes who can play the game. You can't just have a great athlete who can run and jump. It's not track. It's basketball."

And just about every top basketball program out there wanted Roe, the jewel of the class. He's a consensus top-10 player nationally, MSU's first since Shannon Brown in 2003.

The 6-foot-8 forward from Lakewood, Ohio, originally favored MSU, then leaned toward North Carolina, then came back to the Spartans. He verbally committed in April, saying: "What I can get at North Carolina, I can get at MSU - and it's even closer to home."

Izzo, allowed by NCAA rule to speak about the 2008 recruits for the first time, said Roe would qualify as one of his significant recruiting victories.

"Even I thought he was leaning other ways," Izzo said. "This is a big catch, because of the player and because of who the kid is."

The Roes credited Izzo for showing up at games where other programs sent assistants. He said MSU's tendency to close in on a select number of prospects allows him to do that more often.

"There's no question, we don't recruit in mass like some schools," he said. "Some day it's gonna hurt us."

Green, a 6-7 forward who led Saginaw High to the Class A state title last season, picked MSU over Indiana and Michigan. He originally committed to Kentucky, then reconsidered when coach Tubby Smith left for Minnesota.

He is a skilled, versatile player with "great hands," Izzo said, who can handle and shoot outside.

Lucious, a 5-10 point guard from Milwaukee, is a 3-point shooter with penetrating ability. He'll join with Lucas to give MSU extraordinary quickness in the backcourt.

Izzo said he was hoping to sign a center, but that "we're addressing that" with the 2009 class. MSU's 2009 targets include DaShonte Riley, a top-20 center from Detroit Country Day.

TIME TO COMPARE: Louisiana-Monroe coach Orlando Early was asked after Wednesday's game to compare MSU and No. 4 Kansas. The Warhawks lost 107-78 on Friday at Kansas.

"They're both really good," Early said. "They both do a great job of pushing the ball up the floor. Both of those teams have got a chance to make a run in the tournament. This time of year, you don't know who's better. These will be two different teams when March rolls around, but I tell you what, both have the ingredients to make a long run."

MVP: MSU's Raymar Morgan was named MVP of the East Lansing Regional of the CBE Classic. Morgan averaged 19 points and 14.5 rebounds in the two games. He played significant minutes at power forward and was a key to MSU's defensive effort that allowed just three baskets in the final 13:45 of the game.

"Raymar was all over the place and to be fair about it, Drew (Neitzel) and Raymar both are battling a cold, a little bit of flu," Izzo said. "Both looked tired, but both sucked it up pretty good. Ray was the best defender on the ball tonight, so getting him out there as a (power forward) really helped."

GLASS CLEANERS: MSU has a rebound margin of plus-24.5 per game after dominating two smaller teams on the glass. The Spartans had 50 rebounds to ULM's 23, after outrebounding Chicago State 53-31 on Tuesday.

Morgan led the way with 14 boards. Goran Suton and Marquise Gray both had seven, while freshman Chris Allen had six to go with his game-high 17 points. Four of Allen's rebounds came on the offensive end.

"It was a lot worse," Early said of the rebounding disparity vs. what he expected. "I didn't think it would be 50-23."

[More at www.lansingstatejournal.com]