Top 20 former Michigan State Spartans to play in the NBA

9. Jaren Jackson Jr.

Jaren Jackson Jr. was a one-and-done player at Michigan State. Despite glimpses of his potential, and a sure first-round pick, some saw Jackson as a player who would need development before his Michigan State success would translate to the NBA.

Despite this, and criticism about his smaller frame, Jackson had a surprisingly successful rookie campaign for Memphis.

Like at Michigan State, however, Jackson continued to show success from behind the arc, shooting at a reliable rate of 36 percent on 142 attempts.  As well, Jackson finished 14th in the league in blocks per game with 1.4 and seventh in block percentage (5.1 percent).

For his efforts, Jackson was selected to the All-Rookie First Team, alongside names such as Trae Young and Luka Doncic.

However, Jackson still has plenty of room to grow. Quite literally.

At 6-foot-11, Jackson only weighs 242 pounds. Gaining muscle weight would allow Jackson to move his game inside and contend with undersized and more traditional power forwards like Griffin or Paul Millsap.

It would also allow Jackson to develop his game defensively. Despite his height, Jackson only averaged 4.9 rebounds per game. Moving inside is where Jackson shows the most promise.

If he develops that aspect of his game, he will no doubt rank higher among MSU-alums by the end of his career.