“That dunk he had, did he jump or did he just reach up? I just saw his arm come from out of nowhere, and it looked like it was coming from the ceiling,” Izzo said postgame. “When he was guarding the guy out of bounds, I said to (assistant coach Dwayne Stephens), 'Look at those arms!' Kind of a weird part of the body you’re excited about, but I was excited about his arms, and they’re longer than long.” 

Bingham, whose wingspan is listed at 7’4”, said he felt comfortable in his debut Tuesday night. 

“I was just feeling good. I’m in the game for a reason. I’m gonna try to show everybody what I can do,” Bingham said. “It’s my first time for (the home crowd) to see me, and I’m gonna give them a good impression.” 

Fellow freshman Gabe Brown, a 6’7” forward from Ypsilanti, Michigan said he believes Bingham’s career will extend beyond his time in East Lansing.

“He’s a pro. I told him that, he’s a pro,” Brown said. “If he keeps working and really staying in the gym, and if he really works on getting bigger and doing the little things, he’s gonna be a pro.” 

The question of course is, can Bingham get bigger? Izzo said again after the win against Northern Michigan that despite his skill set, he’s not sure if he’ll play Bingham this season.

“The biggest reason I’m not sure is that I don’t know what he wants to do. If I did what I wanted to do and could keep him for the program, if something happens, I could get somebody in,” Izzo said. “But if I’m looking at what’s best for Marcus, maybe to be able to lift all year and go to class and get a solid base academically because that’s an area he needs to keep improving on, it might be better for that.” 

The current redshirt rule does not allow for a player to appear in any regular season games, so Bingham’s next appearance would burn his redshirt season.

“Football has got this rule, you can play in four games, so you can play the last four games of the season, and still redshirt. Basketball gets screwed again,” Izzo said. “I do think it’s a shame that you only get these two exhibition games, and then you gotta make a decision. That’s really not in anybody’s best interest.” 

Bingham says he wants to play this season, and believes he can get stronger if he keeps lifting, and, more importantly, eating.

“I try to eat a big meal before I go to sleep just to add the extra pounds,” he said. “We’ve been practicing a lot, so I burn a lot of calories. Every time I eat, I try to eat a big meal so all that extra weight is going to my (body).” 

When asked if he keeps his diet healthy or eats from less healthy places such as McDonald’s, Bingham replied with one word: “everything.”

Bingham’s skill set is not in doubt, Izzo said, citing his ability to shoot, handle the ball and move well laterally. He also complemented his toughness.

“Some skinny guys are softer. He’s not afraid to compete. He’s not afraid to get knocked around. So he’s got that in him, and that’s a good quality to have. I think it’s gonna really help him as we get going,” Izzo said. 

It remains to be seen whether Bingham will see the court this season, but if he does, Spartan fans will be seeing a confident, young player.

“If they didn’t think I was good, they wouldn’t have let me come here," Bingham said. "But I’m pretty confident in what I can do. I’m pretty solid. I feel like I can play here.”