It’s official, MSU star forward Miles Bridges will remain on the MSU men’s basketball team for another season.
In an announcement in front of a crowd of Spartan fans at the Spartan Statue on Thursday, Bridges said "I have some unfinished business here, I want to stay."
With his teammates behind him, head coach Tom Izzo and Bridges' family beside him, Bridges said he has personal goals to win a National Championship.
He will rejoin his freshman class: Cassius Winston, Nick Ward and Joshua Langford next season.
After Bridges made his announcement, Izzo jokingly started a "Three more years" chant with the crowd.
Bridges' announcement was one filled with smiles, hugs from family members and cheers from Spartan fans.
To build off his impressive freshman campaign, Bridges said his focus is on ball handling, shooting and rebounding.
Bridges scored 473 points this season; one shy of Shawn Respert, to rank second in MSU freshmen 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 with 16.9 and rebounds per game, 8.3, and was the only player on MSU who averaged more than 23 minutes per game with 32.
Miles Bridges, "I have some unfinished business, I want to stay" @thesnews pic.twitter.com/MOtUZCf4if
— Connor Clark (@CClarkTSN) April 13, 2017
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.
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.
According to Draft Express, Bridges is expected to be drafted No. 6 overall in the 2018 NBA Draft. This would roughly translate to $ 3,139,800 in his first season, with a chance to make upwards of $9,843,200 in his first three seasons.
The roster for MSU men’s basketball next season should include: Lourawls “Tum Tum” Nairn Jr., Langford, Winston, Matt McQuaid, Kyle Ahrens, Bridges, Ward, Gavin Schilling and Kenny Goins, among others. The Spartans will also have two highly-rated recruits, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Xavier Tillman.
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.
The starting lineup for next season should look like:
PG Winston
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SG Langford
SF Bridges
PF Ward
C Jackson
This talented group at the hands of Hall of Fame head coach Tom Izzo will hope to build off a second-round exit in the NCAA Tournament. With a team of this caliber, they might be thinking National Championship.
MSU is still in contention with more highly-rated recruits. Bridges' decision to stay could have various effects on their selections.
Izzo closes the event. Miles Bridges is back in East Lansing for another year @thesnews
— Connor Clark (@CClarkTSN) April 13, 2017
