Michigan State basketball gained the massive commitment of Kaleb Glenn, a small forward transfer via Florida Atlantic, making him the first roster addition of the offseason. The addition of Glenn offers the Spartans a ton of versatility, playing him at the small forward and as a small ball power forward.
Glenn was a great add to the Spartans, and should fit into the team both culturally, and stylistically. Of not, as mentioned before, Glenn was the high school AAU teammate of Spartan point guard Jeremy Fears.
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Now, the Spartans will have a summer to work Glenn into their system and to see how he will fit into the rotations between the several different positions that he can play. At Florida Atlantic, Glenn played a lot of minutes at small forward, where he averaged 12.6 points and 4.8 rebounds on 53.1% field goal shooting and 41% 3-point shooting.
Here, we are going to break down five different aspects of Glenn’s game from a scouting stand point, taking a deeper dive into what the Spartans are getting in their latest roster addition.
A modern player
Louisville basketball’s Kaleb Glenn (10) dunked against Boston College during their game at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Ky. on Mar. 9, 2024.
In the modern game of basketball, all fans hear about is how the mid-range game is going away and it is all about getting to the hoop and shooting beyond the three point line. Well, the Spartans are getting exactly that modern mold in their new player.
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247Sports’ Justin Thind said it best, Glenn is a Nate Oats style player that is going to play for Tom Izzo. When he is not shooting threes, Glenn takes over 50-percent of his shots at the rim, meaning his offensive game is crafted around 3-pointers, layups and dunks.
The modern flare should be tasteful within the Spartans offense.
3-point shooting
Michigan State’s Xavier Booker, left, pressures Florida Atlantic’s Kaleb Glenn on a shot during the first half on Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024, in East Lansing.
The Spartans need to vastly improve their shooting from 3-point land, and cannot be a team that is sitting in the basement of the Big Ten in that department for another year. Glenn is someone who should help that cause, but also, there could be a little bit of deception in that department.
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This past season, he may have shot it 41% from beyond the arc, but he did not have a ton of volume shooting. In total, he went 48-of-117 from beyond the arc. In his first year with Louisville, he only shot 1-for-9 from three.
So, some of that Louisville influence could have been the awful coaching Kenny Payne provided, but we also saw a huge uptick in production. Naturally, there should be some regression in his numbers and production next season, but there is no reason to believe that he cannot be at least a 35% 3-point shooter, or better, with good sized volume in 2025-26.
Free throw shooting
Nov 12, 2024; Orlando, Florida, USA; Florida Atlantic Owls forward Kaleb Glenn (1) dunks during the second half against the UCF Knights at Addition Financial Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images
Not everything can be good, and this is one area that has to improve for Glenn this upcoming season. While Glenn does a fantastic job getting to the line, averaging almost four free throws a game, he only shoots those free throws at a 62.4% clip.
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The Spartans will need Glenn to continue getting himself to the line, and providing that skill is massive for MSU, but the transfer wing will have to get closer to shooting those free throws at more of a 70-to-75 percent clip.
Defense
Feb 28, 2024; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils center Kyle Filipowski (30) lays the ball up in front of Louisville Cardinals forward Kaleb Glenn (10) during the second half at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The Blue Devils won 84-59. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports
An interesting thing to keep tabs on is how well the FAU transfer will be able to play defense in his move to Michigan State. It could have been a style thing at FAU, because the Owls did not have much desire to play defense all season long, but Glenn’s defense left a lot to be desired.
If Glenn is going to come to MSU and establish himself as a key rotational piece, there will have to be a sizeable increase in his defensive production. Luckily for everyone, Tom Izzo is one of the best defensive coaches the sport has seen.
Length, athleticism and versatility
Dec 21, 2024; East Lansing, Michigan, USA; Florida Atlantic Owls forward Kaleb Glenn (1) scores on a steal during the first half against the Michigan State Spartans at Jack Breslin Student Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Dale Young-Imagn Images
All three of these things go together, and Glenn’s has more than enough of all three. At 6-foot-7, with the athleticism that Glenn possesses, the versatility that Glenn will bring to the table for MSU is unmatched. MSU has needed length and athleticism on the wing for quite some time, and they are getting it.
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Glenn’s quickness, with the length, will allow Glenn to guard 1-through-5 on the court. While stepping in to play both small and power forward spots, Glenn has the versatility to do it all on the court for MSU.
This article originally appeared on Spartans Wire: What Michigan State basketball is getting with transfer Kaleb Glenn
