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Deyonta Davis' departure makes Michigan State more freshman-reliant

Deyonta Davis' departure makes Michigan State more freshman-reliant

If Michigan State is going to contend for a national title again next season, the Spartans will have to rely heavily on their highly touted freshman class.

That much is clear after forward Deyonta Davis announced Tuesday that he's declaring for the NBA draft and hiring an agent.

Davis would have been an interior focal point for Michigan State next season had he returned to school, but his stock was too high among NBA scouts for that to be a realistic possibility. The raw but talented 6-foot-10 freshman is a projected mid-first-round pick even though he averaged a modest 7.5 points and 6.5 rebounds and had just begun to scratch the surface of his capabilities while starting 16 of the Spartans' final 17 games.

"Over the last year, Deyonta has improved as a player, as he is just starting to tap his true potential," Michigan State coach Tom Izzo said in a statement. "Off the court, there is no question that he has grown by leaps and bounds as he matures as a young man. I’ve been fortunate to live my dreams, but the real thrill as a coach is getting to see my players live their dreams. I look forward to following Deyonta’s development and career in the NBA for years to come."

Michigan State will still have the talent to match or even exceed this past season's accomplishments even without Davis, but next year's Spartans will be younger and more vulnerable on the interior. They'll have to rely on a recruiting class that features four Rivals Top 50 players.

The most talented of the newcomers are 6-6 combo forward Miles Bridges and 6-6 wing Josh Langford, both of whom are McDonald's All-Americans. Look for both to start right away, with Bridges filling a Justise WInslow-like undersized power forward role and Langford entering a wing rotation that will also include senior Eron Harris, sharpshooter Matt McQuaid and reserve Alvin Ellis.

Playing time at point guard will be split between junior Tum Tum Nairn and highly touted incoming freshman Cassius Winston. When Izzo needs outstanding on-ball defense, reliable decision making and leadership, the choice will be Nairn. When Izzo needs an offensive spark, Winston will be his guy.

Where Michigan State will face the most questions is its lack of a proven big man. Matt Costello graduates this spring, Davis is headed to the NBA and Marvin Clark is transferring, leaving behind senior-to-be Gavin Schilling, former walk-on Kenny Goins and incoming freshman Nick Ward.

Schilling is the likely starter if he can avoid the injuries that derailed his junior season. Goins proved to be a more capable than expected backup and Ward has excellent long-term potential, but it would be a surprise if Michigan State didn't at least explore the graduate transfer market. One more big man would certainly be a plus in case of injuries or in games when Bridges is too undersized to play 30-plus minutes at power forward.

When Michigan State lost elite shooting guard prospect Josh Jackson to Kansas on Monday, that stung only because it was an in-state kid with a world of talent.

In reality, however, the loss of Davis is the bigger blow. It leaves Michigan State without an interior focal point offensively and makes the Spartans a bit more reliant on their freshman than Izzo would probably prefer.

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Jeff Eisenberg is the editor of The Dagger on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at daggerblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!