First reported by Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical, MSU forward Miles Bridges cancelled meetings with agents and was leaning toward returning for a sophomore season. In his latest report, Wojnarowski said "barring a late change in heart," Bridges will return for his sophomore season.
Bridges scored 473 points this season; one shy of Shawn Respert – to rank second in MSU freshman scoring through his 28 games. He grabbed 232 rebounds, which ranks third by an MSU freshman, falling just short of Earvin “Magic” Johnson’s 237. He set the record for most points in a single game by a freshman with 33 points against Purdue. This output surpassed Scott Skiles’ record of 32 points in 1983.
He led the Spartans in both points per game, 16.9, rebounds per game, 8.3, and was the only player on MSU that averaged more than 23 minutes per game with 32.
Bridges experienced a few injury issues this season. He missed seven games because of a foot injury suffered in a loss against Duke and played through a hip injury in the Spartans’ season-ending loss, 90-70, against No. 1 seed Kansas.
If he returns to MSU, he will rejoin his freshman class: Cassius Winston, Nick Ward and Joshua Langford.
Next season the Spartans should have: Lourawls “Tum Tum” Nairn Jr., Langford, Winston, Matt McQuaid, Kyle Ahrens, Bridges, Ward, Gavin Schilling and Kenny Goins among others. They will also have two highly-rated recruits, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Xavier Tillman.
According to the latest mock draft by ESPN’s Chad Ford, Bridges would have been selected as the No. 10 overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft.
According to the NBA Salary Cap and Collective Bargaining Agreement frequently asked questions, the No. 10 pick could have earned about $2,215,400 in his first season. In his first three seasons combined, Bridges could have made approximately $6,945,300. A rookie contract in the NBA includes a two-year deal with a third year team option.
This move to return to MSU after a successful freshman campaign mimics that of former MSU guard Gary Harris, who declared after his sophomore year. Harris has been a starting piece for the Denver Nuggets this season, averaging 14.9 points per game.
Support student media!
Please consider donating to The State News and help fund the future of journalism.
Discussion
Share and discuss “Miles Bridges reportedly planning to return for sophomore season” on social media.
