Men's Basketball Signs Three To National Letters Of Intent
11/12/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 12, 2003
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State head men's basketball coach Tom Izzo has announced that three players have signed National Letters of Intent to attend Michigan State next fall and play for the 2004-05 Spartan basketball team.
The signees include Marquise Gray (F, 6-8, 215, Flint, Mich./Beecher High School), Drew Neitzel (G, 6-0, 170, Grand Rapids, Mich./Wyoming Park High School) and Goran Suton (C, 6-10, 250, Lansing, Mich./Everett High School).
"We are pleased that we were able to sign three players that fit our needs," said Izzo. "We thought it was incredibly important to land a couple of big men, and every program always needs a good guard. We're excited about the signees and the way they complement the players already within the program.
"It's great to see that even with the change in staff during the spring our recruiting did not miss a beat. My assistants did a great job of not only finding but securing some top-notch talent."
MARQUISE GRAY (F, 6-8, 215, Flint, Mich./Beecher High School) - Averaged 16.5 points and 15.0 rebounds as a junior at Flint Beecher High School ... led the Buccaneers to an appearance in the Class C state final ... first-team Class C all-state selection by the Detroit Free Press and The Detroit News ... averaged 4.0 blocks per game and shot 62 percent from the field as a junior ... grabbed 28 rebounds in a single game vs. both Saginaw Nouvel and Muskegon Heights ... ranked the No. 15 player in the nation by RivalsHoops.com, No. 34 by Prep Spotlight Magazine, No. 35 by Hoopmasters.com and No. 37 by TheInsidersHoops.com ... rated the No. 7 power forward by Prep Spotlight Magazine, No. 8 by RivalsHoops.com, No. 9 by Hoopmasters.com and No. 10 by TheInsidersHoops.com ... averaged 15 points and 15 rebounds as a sophomore ... plays for Coach Tony Holliday at Flint Beecher High School.
Coach Izzo on Gray: "Marquise Gray brings something new to our program. He's a 6-8 forward, like an Andre Hutson, with tremendous athletic ability and incredible rebounding capability. As Marquise gets stronger, we think he could be one of the great forwards that we've had. His shooting is constantly improving and his nose for the basketball is second to none. Marquise is a great kid who wanted to be at Michigan State from day one and that makes him a special player in our program."
DREW NEITZEL (G, 6-0, 170, Grand Rapids, Mich./Wyoming Park High School) - Averaged 27.2 points, 8.3 assists and 3.5 rebounds as a junior at Wyoming Park High School, leading the Vikings to a 16-6 record ... 2003 Detroit Free Press Dream Team honoree, while also earning first-team all-state honors from The Detroit News ... Grand Rapids Press Dream Team selection ... owns the school career records for points (1,569) and assists (452) ... BCAM Academic All-State honoree ... averaged 3.0 steals and shot 81 percent from the free throw line as a junior ... rated the No. 51 player in the nation by Bob Gibbons and Van Coleman of Hoopmasters.com, No. 76 by Dave Telep of the TheInsidersHoops.com, No. 78 by Prep Spotlight Magazine and No. 81 by RivalsHoops.com ... ranked the No. 14 point guard by TheInsidersHoops.com and Hoopmasters.com, No. 15 by RivalsHoops.com and No. 16 by Prep Spotlight Magazine ... attended the 2003 USA Basketball Development Festival in Colorado Springs ... 2003 Adidas Big Time All-Tournament Team selection ... averaged 24.7 points, 7.0 assists, 2.4 rebounds and 2.1 steals as a sophomore, leading Wyoming Park to a 20-3 record and an appearance in the district finals ... 2002 second-team all-state honoree by the Detroit Free Press and The Detroit News ... Grand Rapids Press Dream Team selection ... set a school single-game scoring record with 44 points vs. Wayland ... averaged 19.1 points, 5.2 assists and 2.0 steals as a freshman, earning all-state special mention ... three-time all-conference selection ... plays for Coach Thom Vander Klay at Wyoming Park High School.
Coach Izzo on Neitzel: "Drew Neitzel brings many things to the table. He's a guard that can shoot as well with his right hand as his left hand. He is a very intelligent player with a great desire to be at Michigan State University. With him committing early, it shows his true interest in our program. He comes from a great family that has pushed him to be the best. With his skills on and off the court, the kid has a chance to be the best. "
GORAN SUTON (C, 6-10, 250, Lansing, Mich./Everett High School) - Averaged 14 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks, while shooting 51 percent from the floor as a junior at Lansing Everett High School ... rated the No. 108 player in the nation by RivalsHoops.com and in the top 125 by Prep Spotlight Magazine ... ranked the No. 12 center by RivalsHoops.com and No. 22 by Hoopmasters.com ... averaged 12 points and 8.7 rebounds as a sophomore before suffering a knee injury at the end of the season ... plays for Coach Johnny Jones at Lansing Everett High School.
Coach Izzo on Suton: "We think Goran Suton is a true diamond in the rough. After going through a knee injury in his sophomore season, it took time to get back into playing conditions that he needed to be at. After watching him this summer, we feel he has tremendous capabilities. Like an A.J. Granger or Erazem Lorbek, he has skills both inside and outside. He not only has low post moves, but the ability to step out to the three point line and shoot the basketball. To my surprise he was also very good handling and passing the basketball. As he gets stronger and continues to play basketball, we think this could be a player who really blossoms, not only in his senior year of high school under a great coach and program, but also in his four years of college."
