Antonio Pemberton, one of the top 10 point guards in the 2027 class, has committed to Michigan State, he told ESPN on Friday.
Pemberton chose the Spartans over a final list that also included Marquette, Creighton, Tennessee, Kansas, Boston College, UCLA and Ohio State. He took official visits in recent weeks to Tennessee, Kansas, Creighton and Michigan State, while also visiting Marquette earlier this year.
"On my official visit, I had a chance to talk to a lot of former players," he told ESPN. "Kur Teng is also there; he played for Mass Rivals. All the former players talked about how much Coach [Tom] Izzo cares about them and how much they love and respect him. It's a place where guards have had great success."
Pemberton developed a strong relationship with Izzo and assistant coach Doug Wojcik. He said that Izzo was a combination of both of his coaches: Vin Pastore of Mass Rivals and Jason Smith of Masters Academy International.
"Coach Izzo, Coach Wojcik, and the rest of the staff never pressured me," he said. "It was important to them to build a real relationship with me and my family. That's exactly what we wanted. Coach Wojcik took the time to build a real relationship with me. Would constantly reach out to me after good games or bad. The staff was very consistent throughout the recruiting process. I would describe Coach Izzo as a caring coach and person."
A 6-foot-1 point guard from Massachusetts, Pemberton is ranked No. 27 overall in the SC Next 100 for the class of 2027, the No. 1 player from the state of Massachusetts and the No. 8 point guard.
He was the second-leading scorer on the Adidas 3SSB circuit last spring and summer, averaging 23.6 points over 19 games with Mass Rivals. He also contributed 3.2 rebounds and 4.2 assists. According to Synergy, he finished in the top three in transition scoring, isolation scoring and pick-and-roll scoring, while also attempting 10.8 jumpers per game. He was able to get to the free throw line nearly eight times per game.
"Antonio will fit right in at Michigan State," Smith said. "He is an ultracompetitive winner and a great teammate. He's turning into a great leader. He reminds me of one of my former players, Devonte' Graham."
Pemberton is a scoring point guard who has demonstrated and displayed 3-point shooting, both off the catch and off the dribble, with an outstanding pull-up game and the ability to get all the way to the rim. He can get his own shot due to his tight handle and controlled movement and footwork, while striking the ideal balance of a lead guard due to his speed, unselfishness and ability to read the defense. Areas of improvement before he arrives in East Lansing are keeping the ball out of the lane as a defender and driving to his left more often.
"I will bring energy and a pitbull style of play," Pemberton said.
He is Izzo's first commitment in the 2027 class, but Michigan State is coming off a 2026 cycle in which it landed the No. 8 class in the country. The Spartans are expected to open the 2026-27 college basketball season ranked inside the top 10.