The "Fab Five" was arguably the best recruiting class ever assembled and it placed the Michigan Wolverines in the basketball map.
Now, their state rivals are building what could be their own version in the extremely talented class of 2016.
Michigan State currently has the top ranked 2016 recruiting class according to 24/7 Sports. They have three top 50 players in Joshua Langford (19), Cassius Winston (29) and Nick Ward (42).
While it's still early in the game and most of the top talent have yet to make their decisions, The Detroit Free Press is very optimistic that Michigan State can hold on and even strengthen their grip on the top spot-thereby breaking the stranglehold of Duke, Kentucky and Kansas.
Detroit Free Press writer Joe Rexrode stated that the Spartans are frontrunners for two top 10 players. Josh Jackson, a consensus top 3 player (no.1 in Rivals, no. 3 in ESPN) and Miles Bridges, a Michigan native and no.8 in ESPN.
Bridges is set to make his choice on October 3 and while three schools remain, it is believed that it's down to Michigan State and Kentucky.
It seems daunting that the Spartans are up against master recruiter John Calipari, but MSU seems to have the edge now. Matt Jones of Kentucky Sports Radio admitted as much.
"Over the past two weeks, he has visited Michigan State and Kentucky, and now my confidence in his ending up a Cat has dissipated quite a bit," Jones wrote. "I am hearing that Bridges had a tremendous visit to Michigan State and they put on the full court press (including visiting with some former Spartans) for he and other top talents. His visit to Kentucky was this past weekend and while it went well, there is a growing feeling that the Spartans may have overtaken the Cats as the leader. ... If forced to predict as of today, I would bet on Izzo getting the commitment (and finishing up maybe his best class ever)."
No less than an admission from the Big Blue Nation. The Wildcats' loss is the Spartans' gain, and if they recruit Bridges, he may be the connecting piece to recruit the prime target, Josh Jackson.
"The addition of Bridges arguably would clinch Tom Izzo's best class, and the Spartans still are recruiting the top-rated player in the class: Detroit native Josh Jackson (Napa, Calif.)" according to Rexrode.
Jackson was Miles Bridges' teammate in Team USA and has already paid an official visit to East Lansing. MSU still remains in his Final Five schools.