DETROIT _ For the second time in little more than a week, Michigan State landed a commitment from a five-star prospect ranked among the best players in the nation.
Max Christie, a 6-foot-6 shooting guard from Rolling Meadows, Ill., announced on Tuesday he was committing to the Spartans, a declaration that comes eight days after Ypsilanti's Emoni Bates, regarded as the top prospect in the nation regardless of class, said he was committing to Michigan State.
Christie, in an interview broadcast on Fox Sports, said he picked MSU because "it's a prestigious program not only in the Big Ten but nationally. They win a lot and they know what's they're doing. They have a winning culture and a great family."
Christie also credited his relationship with head coach Tom Izzo.
"My relationship with Coach Izzo is great," Christie said. "It just felt like it was a place that I was needed and a place that I wanted to go to. When I took my official visit there back at the beginning of the year, it was that gut feeling that I felt that it was right for me just to be able to go there and just experience the college life. And I think coach Izzo his staff and all my teammates there can push me to be the person that I want to be, not only on but off the court."
Christie is ranked as the 13th overall player in the 2021 class by 247Sports and is the top-rated shooting guard. He joins a class that includes four-star guard Pierre Brooks II from Detroit and potentially Bates, if he indeed reclassifies to next year's class and opts to play a season of college basketball.
The Spartans beat out a handful of schools, including Duke, a rare recruiting victory for Izzo and his staff, who have lost their share of top prospects to the Blue Devils over the years. Christie was also considering Villanova, Virginia, Purdue and Ohio State.
Christie said he is not looking to reclassify to the 2020 class and would not likely change his mind about his MSU commitment.
"I'm 100 percent committed to Michigan State," he said. "I probably would not be taking any offer from the G League."
Michigan State's work in the 2021 class likely doesn't end with Christie's commitment. The Spartans have been heavily pursuing four-star point guard Jaden Akins of Farmington, as well as a handful of other highly rated prospects.
