Michigan State has been aggressively rebuilding its defense for the post-Jeremy Fears Jr. era. After landing five-star guard Jasiah Jervis and senior guard Carlos Medlock in the class of 2026, the Spartans have now earned a five-star spot to start their 2027 recruiting class. On Friday afternoon, Michigan State landed a commitment from 2027 blue-chip point guard Antonio Pemberton. The 6-foot-1 Hanover (MA) product is a top 25 overall prospect, and the 247Composite ranks him 20th overall, also earning him five-star status. This makes him MSU’s highest-ranked commitment since Max Christie. Before announcing, Pemberton had narrowed his recruitment to a final eight of Michigan State, Ohio State, UCLA, Tennessee, Kansas, Creighton, Boston College and Marquette before finally settling on the Spartans. He closed his recruitment right after visiting MSU for its annual Grind Week alumni weekend last weekend, leading him to cancel upcoming visits to Marquette and Ohio State. He has previously visited Tennessee, Kansas and Creighton. The Methuen, Massachusetts native now marks Michigan State’s third consecutive recruiting win over Tennessee as they have landed Jasiah Jervis and Coen Carr among the high-spending Volunteers in recent years. Not only is this one of the most impressive parts of this commitment, but MSU also managed to land Pemberton a year after landing an elite point guard in Carlos Medlock. This speaks to MSU’s ability to form strong relationships, as Tom Izzo, Doug Wojcik and staff have worked tirelessly to build a solid foundation with Pemberton since he put on a show this summer. On the Adidas 3SSB circuit, he averaged nearly 24 points and 4.2 assists per game.247 Scouting Athletic Director Adam Finkelstein has been closely monitoring Pemberton, and his scouting report highlights a tough shooter who relies on his pull-up game from mid-range and beyond the arc, has firm control to shake defenders, and gets to the free throw line in high volume. For more information on where Michigan State goes from here on the basketball recruiting trail, read our Wednesday night MSU basketball recruiting notebook. Spartan Tailgate will have more on this truck. Stay tuned to the Shaw Lane VIP board for reactions and discussions on the latest addition to the 2027 class… Get the latest Michigan State football, basketball and recruiting information delivered right to your inbox. Simply enter your email address HERE to subscribe to our free Spartans newsletter now!
