Michigan State men's basketball guard / forward Miles Bridges has decided to forgo his final two years of eligibility and take his talents to the next level, declaring for the 2018 NBA Draft and signing with agent Rich Paul and Klutch Sports.
Bridges was instrumental in helping lead MSU to the Big Ten regular season championship this year, as well as to the NCAA Tournament in which the Spartans finished with a 30-5 overall record.
"God couldn't have placed me in a better place for these last two years," Bridges said. "I want to thank Coach (Tom) Izzo and the rest of the coaching staff for giving a skinny kid from Flint a chance to play at such a legendary program. I would like to thank the academic support staff for helping me out every day. I also want to thank Spartan Nation for welcoming me with open arms into their community and school. And last but not least, I would like to thank my teammates for the bond and memories that we will share for a lifetime."
Bridges said that, like last year, he had lengthy talks with Head Coach Tom Izzo about this decision to turn pro.
“Miles wanted to come back to school this year because he loved Michigan State, he loved his teammates and friends and he loved being part of this community,” Izzo said. “I think I speak for all of Spartan Nation in thanking him for how he represented us and for all of the great things he helped us achieve. He’s given us everything we could ask for and so much more. Miles is a mature young man who has excelled on the court and has been an exemplary student. I think he’s ready to handle being a pro basketball player both on and off the court. More than anything, he conducted himself with the utmost class and humility. As his coach, it’s a thrill for me to see him getting the chance to live his dream and I look forward to following his career in the NBA.”
Bridges capped off a stellar two-year career at Michigan State this year. He was a unanimous All-Big Ten First Team selection and was named a Second Team All-American by The Sporting News, the United States Basketball Writers Association, USA Today and the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC).
While at Klutch Sports Bridges will join an agency that represents NBA talent such as LeBron James and Ben Simmons.
