One of the most trusted NBA insiders has reported that Michigan State freshman forward Miles Bridges is close to forgoing the NBA Draft to return to East Lansing for his sophomore season.
Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports tweeted the news early Wednesday afternoon.
Sources: Michigan State's Miles Bridges cancelled agent meetings, leaning heavily toward returning for sophomore year. Lottery pick talent.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) April 12, 2017
Bridges is expected to finalize decision after meeting with Tom Izzo, sources tell @TheVertical. https://t.co/LsRTlP7Ff0
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) April 12, 2017
Wojnarowski is famous for his “Woj Bombs,” which are reports of breaking news in the NBA.
Lansing State Journal columnist Graham Couch also shared some insight on the freshman phenom’s decision.
Miles Bridges returning to Michigan State "with certainty," according to one high-profile NBA agent, per @JeffZillgitt.
— Graham Couch (@Graham_Couch) April 12, 2017
This news is certainly important to many NBA teams; Bridges has been projected as a lottery pick throughout the season. Most mock drafts have Bridges slotted in between the No. 10 and No. 13 picks. Those picks were worth about $2 million per year in the NBA’s 2016-17 rookie salary scale.
News of Bridges’ return likely warms the hearts of Spartan fans more than any. The Flint, Michigan native was the heart and soul of the Spartans in the 2016-17 season and garnered Big Ten freshman of the year honors. He ranks as one of the top freshmen to ever don the green and white.
| Points | 16.9 | 2nd (Magic Johnson) |
| Field Goals Made | 177 | 2nd (Nick Ward) |
| 3-Point Field Goals Made | 56 | 4th (Chris Hill, Gary Harris, Shawn Respert) |
| Blocks | 43 | 3rd (Deyonta Davis, Nick Ward) |
| Rebounds | 232 | 3rd (Greg Kelser, Magic Johnson) |
Bridges scored a career-high 33 points in a home loss to Purdue on January 24. He tallied seven double-doubles for the season, including grabbing a career-high 15 rebounds against St. John’s in the Bahamas on November 23.
After the Spartans’ treacherous November schedule concluded, Bridges sat out the entire month of December with a high left ankle sprain he suffered in practice. While Michigan State went 6-1 in the seven games he sat out, his presence was obviously missed.
Another injury scare for Bridges came in the Spartans’ final game of the season, an NCAA tournament second round loss to No. 1 seed Kansas.
At 6-foot-8 and 225 pounds, Bridges most likely projects as a small forward in the NBA. However, due to the lack of size on the Spartans’ roster this past season, he was forced to play the power forward position.
But with at least two incoming freshman forwards coming to East Lansing in the fall in Jaren Jackson and Xavier Tillman, along with the potential commitments of Brian Bowen and Brandon McCoy, Bridges is much more likely to shift to his natural small forward position for the 2017-18 version of the Spartans.
Impact Sports’s MSU basketball podcast, Impact Izzone, will continue to report on the latest updates regarding Bridges’ decision.
