- Magic Johnson averaged 17.1 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 7.9 assists per game.
- Mateen Cleaves was the Final Four Most Outstanding Player.
- Draymond Green had 1,096 rebounds in his career, the most in Spartans history.
If you were able to bet on the Michigan State Spartans college basketball odds since Tom Izzo became the head coach, you’d have done well, as he’s never had a losing season.
Now, though, you can bet on their basketball odds at the BetMGM online sportsbook.
With so much history, let’s explore the top five players in their program’s history.
5 Best Michigan State Spartans Basketball Players, Ranked
| Rank | Player | Position | Michigan State Years |
| 1 | Magic Johnson | G | 1977-1979 |
| 2 | Mateen Cleaves | G | 1996-2000 |
| 3 | Draymond Green | F | 2008-2012 |
| 4 | Shawn Respert | G | 1990-1995 |
| 5 | Cassius Winston | G | 2016-2020 |
Michigan State Spartans All-Time Greatest Basketball Players
1. Magic Johnson
Johnson played for the Spartans from 1977 to 1979 and was dominant as a 6-foot-8 guard.
He averaged 17.1 points, 7.6 rebounds, 7.9 assists, and 2.3 steals per game.
Johnson was part of the Spartans’ 1979 national championship team. He was the Final Four Most Outstanding Player, consensus first-team All-American, second-team All-American, third-team All-American, and two-time first-team All-Big Ten. The school retired his No. 33.
Johnson’s 75 steals during the 1978-79 season is the most in a single season in program history.
He went on to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 1979 NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Lakers.
2. Mateen Cleaves
Cleaves played four years at Michigan State from 1996 to 2000. He was part of the 2000 national championship team.
Cleaves was the Final Four Most Outstanding Player, a consensus first-team All-American, a two-time consensus second-team All-American, a two-time Big Ten Player of the Year, and the Big Ten Tournament Most Outstanding Player, and the school retired his No. 12.
He finished his career with 816 assists (second in program history) and 195 steals (first).
His per-game averages were 12.5 points, 2.1 rebounds, 6.6 assists, and 1.6 steals.
3. Draymond Green
You may know Green today for his career with the Golden State Warriors in the NBA, but before that, he played for the Spartans from 2008 to 2012.
He was the NABC National Player of the Year, consensus first-team All-American, Big Ten Male Athlete of the Year, Big Ten Player of the Year, first-team All-Big Ten, two-time third-team All-Big Ten, Big Ten All-Defensive Team, Big Ten Tournament Most Outstanding Player, and Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year. The school retired his No. 23.
He averaged 10.5 points, 7.6 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 1.2 steals per game.
Green totalled 180 steals (second), 117 blocks (eighth), and 1,096 rebounds (first).
4. Shawn Respert
Respert is the Spartans all-time leading scorer (2,531) after playing there from 1990 to 1995. He redshirted his freshman season, appearing in just one game, so he really only logged meaningful minutes from 1991 to 1995.
He averaged 21.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.2 steals per game.
Respert was the NABC Player of the Year, the Sporting News College Player of the Year, a consensus first-team All-American, a third-team All-American, and the Big Ten Player of the Year, and the school retired his No. 24.
5. Cassius Winston
Winston played for Michigan State recently, from 2016 to 2020. He was a two-time consensus second-team All-American, the Big Ten Player of the Year, two-time first-team All-Big Ten, third-team All-Big Ten, and the Big Ten Tournament Most Outstanding Player.
He averaged 14.2 points, 2.7 rebounds, 6.4 assists, and 0.9 steals per game.
When he wrapped up his career, he had 1,969 points (sixth) and 890 assists (first).
