Michigan State has landed a five-star guard to kick off 2027 recruiting efforts.
Michigan State has been aggressively rebuilding its backcourt for the post-Jeremy Fears Jr. era. After landing five-star guard Jasiah Jervis and foundational point guard Carlos Medlock in the 2026 class, the Spartans have now landed a five-star point to kick off its 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, with the 247Composite having him ranked as 20th-overall, which comes along with granting him five-star status. This makes him MSU’s highest-ranked commit since Max Christie.
Before announcing, Pemberton had trimmed his recruitment down to a final eight of Michigan State, Ohio State, UCLA, Tennessee, Kansas, Creighton, Boston College, and Marquette before ultimately deciding on the Spartans. He closed down his recruitment right after visiting MSU for its annual Grind Week alumni weekend this past weekend, which led to him canceling upcoming visits to Marquette and Ohio State. He has previously taken visits to Tennessee, Kansas, and Creighton.
The Methuen, Massachusetts native is now Michigan State’s third-straight recruiting win over Tennessee, as they’ve landed Jasiah Jervis and Coen Carr over the high-spending Volunteers in recent years. Not only is that one of the most impressive parts of this commitment, but MSU also managed to land Pemberton the year after already landing an elite point guard in Carlos Medlock.
This speaks to MSU’s ability to form strong relationships, as Tom Izzo, Doug Wojcik and the staff worked tirelessly to land build a strong foundation with Pemberton ever since he put on a show this summer. On the Adidas 3SSB circuit, he averaged close to 24 points and 4.2 assists per game.
247Sports Director of Scouting Adam Finkelstein has been tracking Pemberton closely, and his scouting report highlights a tough-shot maker who leans on his pull-up game from the mid-range and beyond the arc, has a tight handle to shake defenders, and gets to the free-throw line in high volume.
For more on where Michigan State will go from here on the basketball recruiting trail, read our MSU Basketball Recruiting Notebook from Wednesday night. Spartan Tailgate will have more on this pickup. Stay tuned to the Shaw Lane VIP Board for reaction and discussion on the newest addition to the 2027 class…
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