Bingham Jr. declares for the 2022 NBA Draft

MSU guard Max Christie (5) talks with center Marcus Bingham (30) during the Spartans’ 80-64 home win over Penn State on Dec. 11, 2021/ Photo Credit: MSU Athletic Communications

Nathan Stearns, Sports Broadcast Director
March 31, 2022

EAST LANSING, Mich— Michigan State senior center Marcus Bingham Jr. is following Gabe Brown to the NBA.

Bingham Jr. announced his intentions to declare for the 2022 NBA Draft on Thursday afternoon. He is the second Spartan, after Gabe Brown, to declare for the draft since the conclusion of the 2021-22 season.

With his departure, the Spartans have two true centers on the roster going into 2022-23 in Julius Marble and Mady Sissoko. MSU is also losing a sizable amount of front court experience; Bingham started in 32 games for the Spartans this season and averaged 18.7 minutes a game.

He also averaged 9.3 points a game and 6.3 rebounds while shooting 53.4% from the floor and 74.7% from the free throw line. All four of those numbers, along with the 18.7 minutes per game, were career highs.

Bingham was 17-for-41 in 3-point makes this season (41.5%), by far the best mark of his career.

MSU forward Marcus Bingham Jr. attempts an open jumper during the Spartans’ 69-63 win over No. 12 Wisconsin in the 2022 Big Ten tournament quarterfinal round/ Photo Credit: MSU Athletic Communications

Overall, Bingham appeared in 118 games for the Spartans over a four-year span and started in 54.  The Grand Rapids Catholic Central product finished the season on a particularly high note, scoring a career-high 19 points to go along with 11 rebounds in the Spartans’ 69-63 Big Ten quarterfinal victory over No. 12 Wisconsin. He also scored 16 points and collected 10 boards in MSU’s 85-76 loss to two-seed Duke in the Round of 32 while also notching three blocks.

With 168 career blocks, Bingham leaves MSU as the program’s all-time blocks leader. He projects as a solid rebounder and exceptional rim protector who can effectively stretch the floor at the next level.

The Spartans, despite being without Bingham and Brown, do have a solid core returning next season that includes guards A.J. Hoggard, Max Christie (presumably), Tyson Walker and Jaden Akins and forward Malik Hall, Julius Marble, Mady Sissoko and Pierre Brooks.

MSU is set to welcome in two freshmen for next season in four-star point guard Trejuan Holloman and four-star forward Jaxson Kohler.