4 players to watch in State Farm Champions Classic Tuesday night

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EAST LANSING, MI – OCTOBER 26: Miles Bridges #22 of the Michigan State Spartans drives to the basket in the second half against the Ferris State Bulldogs during the exhibition game at Breslin Center on October 26, 2017 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images) /

Michigan State – Miles Bridges

Tickle zero people shocked and do not call them Nancy.

Miles Bridges is easily and by far Tom Izzo’s most important player. A 6-foot-7 athletic freak, Bridges is expected to play a lot more small forward this season, as opposed to the power forward duties he carried over the course of his previous voyage.

There’s almost zero data to say how that will go, but Bridges is expected to be one of the nation’s best players — a pretty good thing at Michigan State’s disposal on Tuesday. Then again, nothing other than the country’s elite will be on display. Bridges isn’t the exception to the rule Tuesday, he’s just a part of it.

In only one game this season, against something called the North Florida Ospreys, Bridges scored 20 points in only 27 minutes of action. He added 10 rebounds for good measure.

That’s all gravy. Groovy, even. But the context of playing a directional school few people have ever heard of is rather important here. Furthermore, Bridges, who is known as a bit of a bully near the rim, won’t be able to manhandle Duke’s bigs as he did North Florida’s. I mean, call it a hunch, but Bagley and Wendell Carter are probably just a little bit better than whatever the Ospreys hurled on the hardwood.

Nevertheless, with high expectations firmly pressed at his back, Bridges is an excellent player who is both productive and as exciting a player to watch as there is in the country.