Couch: How Foster Loyer, Marcus Bingham Jr. and Romeo Weems might fit at Michigan State

EAST LANSING – The next wave of Michigan State basketball recruits are more obscure than the last. Other than Foster Loyer, at least.

Miles Bridges, Cassius Winston and Co. were household names before they arrived on MSU’s campus. Their YouTube highlight reels had been worn out by a fan base thirsty for big-time recruits again.

This latest group — Loyer, Marcus Bingham Jr., Gabe Brown, Aaron Henry and Thomas Kithier — is less heralded and not as embedded in the public consciousness.

Two of them, Loyer and Bingham, won state semifinals Friday at Breslin Center. MSU 2019 target Romeo Weems played against Bingham and lost. Loyer’s Clarkston team then won the Class A state championship, 81-38, Saturday over Holland West Ottawa. Bingham’s Grand Rapids Catholic Central team lost to Benton Harbor in overtime Saturday night in the Class B title game.

RELATED:  MHSAA boys basketball state semifinals and finals schedule, results

Here are my observations on all three:

Foster Loyer, Clarkston, PG, 6-foot, 170 pounds

Loyer’s size means he comes with risk – he’s generously listed at 6-feet. He’ll have to learn to defend bigger guards and add weight while maintaining his quickness.

But, man, he appears to have an awesome feel for the game and a purity to his shot that is God-given. Not every shooter is so gentle with the net. 

You can’t tell everything from watching Loyer — or any Division I prospect — against overmatched high school opponents, even in a state semifinal or final. But you don’t score 42 points and hit seven 3-pointers (as he did Friday) against constant traps and attention, or come back and score 40 and hit six more triples (as he did Saturday) if you don’t have something special to you. This much is clear: Teams will have to guard Loyer out beyond the 3-point line, which will help him get into the lane and create.

The beauty for MSU — and for Loyer, frankly — is that Tom Izzo and Co. don’t need him to come in and lead the program right away. They need a backup for Winston, someone who can keep the offense rolling and bring something to it.

Tum Tum Nairn was a great off-court leader, culture-setter and ambassador for the program. I think he’ll do very well in life. As a Big Ten point guard on a roster without other guards who could create off the drive, he wasn’t a fit. MSU’s offense went from 60 mph to 10 mph when Winston left the game. Nairn was more effective as a freshman and sophomore, when he often played alongside Travis Trice and/or Denzel Valentine. He brought the ball up the floor, but they incited the offense. 

MSU needs Loyer to be ready to incite offense 8 to 12 minutes per game. If he’s ready to do more and is adequate defensively, you might see him play some with Winston against smaller backcourts, allowing Winston to play off the ball for a few minutes.

If the goal is to play 40 minutes of quality basketball, MSU’s offense should be about 25 percent better with Loyer.

RELATED:  Foster Loyer bringing swagger back to Breslin Center

Marcus Bingham Jr., Grand Rapids Catholic Central, 6-11, 210

Bingham is an intriguing prospect. I thought that before seeing him live Friday. Even more so now.

Like Jaren Jackson Jr., he’s 6-11, with a 7-4 wingspan. Unlike Jackson, Bingham is rail thin, feet up. When he tried to drive against New Haven’s defenders Friday, including Romeo Weems, he couldn’t gain an inch with his body. Until he adds strength, that’ll limit him at MSU. I listed Bingham as a projected starter in a recent analysis of MSU’s 2018-19 roster. After watching him up close, I don’t see him starting ahead of senior Kenny Goins until he fills out a tad.

RELATED:  Breaking down MSU's 2018-19 basketball roster, player by player

But Bingham has a lot going for him. He didn’t shoot well in the semis, just 3-for-13, but it was clear he can shoot. Two of his made shots were 3s. He can shoot off the dribble and he can handle the ball. 

He was 6-2 as a freshman, before a growth spurt — which might not be over. You can see the guard skills in his game because he wasn’t always the big kid. He doesn’t seem to have post instincts offensively. But defensively, he has a knack for blocking shots and he’s a vocal leader. In the middle of Grand Rapids Catholic Central’s zone, he’d tell teammates where to go and put them in the right places on inbound plays.

At MSU, he’ll have a role next season – bigger if Jackson leaves for the NBA, smaller if he doesn’t. He’ll be able to score immediately away from the basket. How he defends man-to-man against power forwards remains to be seen. But his length will help immensely. 

RELATED:  Marcus Bingham Jr. came from the bottom to be state's No. 1 prospect

Romeo Weems, New Haven, Wing, 6-7, 215

Weems is a top 30 recruit nationally in the 2019 class and is thought to be leaning toward MSU. His New Haven team had won 52 straight games before Friday’s loss to Grand Rapids Catholic Central.

I get why he’s coveted. He’s also very raw. Weems has a Big Ten body already, including tree-trunk legs. He’s fast and quick and has great spring. He’s tough on the glass and could be a very good defender quickly. 

But while he can make jump shots and an occasional 3-pointer, that’s not his game right now. He also doesn’t look comfortable breaking down defenders on the dribble. Right now, he’s an energy guy, a garbage scorer — someone who can clean up on the boards and finish with strength at the basket.

MORE:  Recruit Aaron Henry bringing a winning mentality to Izzo's crew

MORE:  Gabe Brown honors late father by signing with MSU

He’s got more than a year to develop his game before he’s on MSU’s campus — or another campus. But at minimum, as a freshman, he’ll provide toughness and rebounding. His frame and athleticism will give him value right away.

One thing that bothered me Friday: In the final two minutes, the game decided, as New Haven’s coach cleared his bench to give everybody a chance to play at Breslin Center, Weems waved off the substitution, and 5-8 senior Anthony Sims walked back to the bench, looking like he’d never get in. About 30 seconds later, after Weems hit two free throws, Sims did get in for the final defensive possession. Still, it didn’t sit well with me.

There’s a good chance that Weems, Loyer and Bingham will all be significant parts of MSU’s future, soon and for a while. All three, I think, have the potential to be special players in different ways. You could see that much Friday.

Contact Graham Couch at gcouch@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter@Graham_Couch.