National Signing Day '09: Izzo calls class one of best ever

Tom Izzo has pulled in his share of highly ranked recruiting classes for the MSU men’s basketball program.

But the class of 2010 — consisting of Keith Appling, Russell Byrd, Alex Gauna and Adreian Payne — has the potential to rank with the best, the MSU head coach said at Wednesday’s National Signing Day.

“With all four of these guys, I think it makes for an incredible class, as far as giving us some needs where some people can play more than one position,” Izzo said. “This is one of the better classes we’ve had here.”

Keith Appling

Appling, a 6-foot-2, 180-pound combo guard from Detroit Pershing, already has made his mark at Breslin Center when he scored a state title game record 49 points to lead Pershing to the Class A State Championship.

He finished the season averaging 23.9 points, six assists and five rebounds a game, earning 2009 Associated Press Class A Player of the Year.

“I think Keith Appling has the chance to be the next great, great guard out of here,” Izzo said. “And yet, consistency will be his thing. This summer he played good. But good is good.”

Russell Byrd

Byrd, a 6-foot-7, 190-pound wing player from Blackhawk Christenin Fort Wayne, Ind., is a pure shooter.

He averaged 19.1 points, 8.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists a game as a junior, and,
during the summer, participated in both the LeBron James Skills Academy and Vince
Carter Skills Academy — camps for the top 20 prep wings in the country.

“Russell is a kid we saw during his junior year and he just shoots the ball
extremely well,” Izzo said. “He had every major school after him and his size keeps growing. … Like all shooters, has to remain confident in what he’s doing, and when he does that he’s got a chance to be real good.”

Alex Gauna

The least-heralded player of the 2010 class, Gauna — a 6-foot-9, 230-pound forward from Eaton Rapids, Mich. — is far from a project player for Izzo.

He’s a big body in the paint that averaged 16.5 points, 10.4 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game as a junior, and a player who Izzo believes has his best basketball ahead of him.

“He can shoot the ball from three, averaged (16 points) and (10 rebounds), but I think his best basketball’s ahead of him,” Izzo said. “I’m really impressed with his junior year … and I look at the progress he made a year ago with his body, and this summer he played great.”

Adreian Payne

Payne, the last player to verbally commit, is the biggest recruit in the 2010 class. A 6-foot-10, 215-pound center from Jefferson High School in Dayton, Ohio, he is ranked as a five-star recruit and one of the top 20 players by Rivals.com.

“He brings something we haven’t had a lot of in a while — a big man with length, athleticism and can shoot the ball out to the 3-point range,” Izzo said.