Michigan State University Men's Basketball

Tom Izzo was enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on September 9, 2016, cementing his status as one of the game’s all-time greats. Now ...

Former men’s basketball student manager Andrew Henk returned to his alma mater in August 2023 as the program’s assistant director of basketball operations and became the director of basketball operations in July 2024. Henk returned to his native Michigan after spending four years in the NBA as the head equipment manager for the Los Angeles Lakers (2019-23). While with the Lakers, Henk spent 97 days in the NBA bubble during the COVID-19 pandemic and was part of the team that won the 2020 NBA Championship. Prior to his move to the West Coast, Henk spent two years with the Detroit Pistons (2017-19), first as an equipment intern and then being promoted to a full-time assistant equipment manager during the 2018-19 season. His first experience in the NBA came in 2016, when he was an account executive in organizational business development for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Henk was with the Cavs when the team won the 2016 NBA title. He started his professional career with the MSU Athletics Department, serving as a development coordinator for the Spartan Fund in 2014-15 and returned during the summer of 2017 for a short stint as an intern in the ticket office while volunteering in the MSU football equipment room. A 2014 graduate of Michigan State with a bachelor’s degree in journalism, Henk was a manager for Head Coach Tom Izzo from 2012-14, part of teams that won the Big Ten Tournament Championship in 2014 and reached the Sweet 16 in 2013 and the Elite Eight in 2014. He earned a master’s

Austin Thornton, a four-year letterwinner and co-captain for Michigan State’s men’s basketball program, enters his fifth season working with the Spartans and his second as an assistant coach. Thornton, who has spent more than 10 years with the Spartans including his playing career, returned to his alma mater in June 2021 as the team’s video coordinator. In that role, he helped aid the coaching staff in scouting reports, practice and game preparation, implementation of offensive and defensive strategies, along with assisting in player development. He has also been responsible for the hiring and training of MSU’s graduate assistants and student managers. In addition, Thornton has spearheaded Michigan State’s annual “Grind Week” for the last five years, which sees the return of many current NBA and professional players, as well as nearly 100 former men’s basketball players each year. He returned to MSU after spending the 2020-21 year as the head coach for both the freshman and varsity boys basketball teams at Sparta High School in Michigan. From 2017 to 2020, Thornton spent four years playing professional basketball overseas, making stops with teams in Italy, Switzerland, Australia and Hungary. Following his collegiate career, Thornton made his return to Michigan State in 2015 as a graduate assistant, spending two years on Head Coach Tom Izzo’s staff (2015-16 and 2016-17). As a graduate assistant, Thornton helped with player development, defensive scouting reports, on-campus rec

Cara Kaye is in her eighth year overseeing social media and creative content for the men's basketball team. She was promoted to Creative Director in June 2021. In her role, Kaye is responsible for managing all of the men's basketball social media platforms and developing social strategy and content for current and emerging platforms. In addition, she develops original material including photo, video, graphics, and motion graphics to enhance the MSU men's basketball's digital presence. Kaye graduated from Michigan State University in 2017 with a bachelor of science in marketing from the Eli Broad College of Business. While in school, she worked in the men's basketball office as a student secretary for two years and as a recruiting student assistant for the other two. She also worked as a teaching assistant in the Computer Science and Engineering Department and as a research assistant in the Eli Broad College of Business. Kaye earned a master's of science in market research from Michigan State University and served as a social media and recruiting graduate assistant for the men's basketball program.

Began at Michigan State: September 1989 Education: Pruder received a B.A. in BA in economics 1987, an M.A. in physical education & exercise science in 1989 and an MBA in marketing 1992. Job Responsibilities: Pruder oversees athletic equipment operations.

Doug Wojcik, a veteran college basketball coach with more than 30 years of experience, enters his eighth year back in East Lansing and his second season as associate head coach. In the last seven seasons, Michigan State has won three Big Ten regular season titles (2019, 2020, 2025), the 2019 Big Ten Tournament Championship, advanced to the 2019 NCAA Final Four, the 2023 NCAA Sweet Sixteen and the 2025 NCAA Elite Eight. The Spartans have also extended their consecutive NCAA Tournament streak to 27 years, officially recognized by the NCAA as the nation’s longest active streak. During that time, 13 Spartans have earned All-Big Ten honors. In the 2024-25 season, Wojcik was named the Big Ten Conference Howard Moore Assistant Coach of the Year, while Tom Izzo became the Big Ten all-time leader in conference wins. Wojcik previously spent two years (2003-05) at MSU as an assistant coach and associate head coach and was part of the 2005 Final Four Team prior to taking his first head coaching job at the University of Tulsa. In Wojcik’s nine years as a Division I head coach, he has a career record of 178-121 (.595) during stints at Tulsa (2005-12) and the College of Charleston (2012-14), leading four teams into postseason play, averaging 20 wins per season overall, winning more than 60 percent of his conference games (88-58, .602), reaching three conference championship games and transitioning both programs to higher-ranked conferences. During his seven seasons at Tulsa, Wojcik posted f

Dr. Jeff Kovan has served as the Director of Athletic Medicine for Michigan State since March 2022. He had served as the Director of Primary Care Sports Medicine since 1996 and also represents the University as the Athletic Health Care Administrator, representing MSU at the Big Ten and NCAA level. Dr. Kovan is an associate professor in the College of Osteopathic Medicine, Department of Orthopedics. He is Board certified in Family Medicine and has completed his Certificate of Added Qualifications in Sports Medicine. A 1987 graduate of MSU’s College of Osteopathic Medicine, he returned to MSU in 1995 to direct the school’s Sports Medicine program. His family includes wife, Jessica, daughters, Brianna and Sarah, and son, Zachary.

Dr. Lorenzo Guess has dedicated 13 years of his career to Michigan State University, where he holds the prestigious position of Assistant AD/ Director of Athletic Performance. Dr. Guess's responsibilities include overseeing a team of highly skilled Athletic Performance professionals who are committed to delivering optimal results for the Olympic sports program. Additionally, Dr. Guess is the Director of Strength & Conditioning for men's basketball, where he implements his vast knowledge and experience to keep the players in top physical condition. Dr. Guess's unwavering dedication and expertise have made him an invaluable asset to MSU's athletic community. Dr. Guess was named the basketball program’s Director of Strength & Conditioning in August 2022 and reunited with his former head basketball coach, Tom Izzo. Guess now trains at the state-of-the-art Draymond Green Strength & Conditioning Center. MSU's men's basketball program uses Catapult, Vald, and Eliteform technologies to enhance player performance. Dr. Guess completed his doctoral program with the United States Sports University in the summer of 2021. His research involves The Perception of Educational Barriers in Transition of African American Male Student-Athletes. Dr. Guess was named a Master Strength and Conditioning Coach (MSCC) by the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association (CSCCa) in May 2020, the highest honor given in the strength and conditioning coaching profession. Guess is also a certified

Dr. Mat Saffarian joined the Michigan State men’s basketball program as a primary care team physician prior to the 2022-23 season. Dr. Saffarian earned his undergraduate degree from Alma College, where he played four years of varsity soccer, prior to starting medical school at Michigan State’s College of Osteopathic Medicine. He completed his residency in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at MSU, where he served as chief resident his fourth year. Following residency, he completed a two-year fellowship program in Interventional Spine, Electrodiagnostic Medicine, and Sports Medicine at Michigan State University. Dr. Saffarian is currently board certified in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Electrodiagnostic Medicine, Pain Medicine, and Sports Medicine. Dr. Saffarian serves as a Team Physician with Michigan State University Athletics and an Associate Professor through the College of Osteopathic Medicine. He was named the Program Director for the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Interventional Spine and Pain Medicine Fellowship program. Nationally, he serves on the Patient Safety Committee for the Spine Intervention Society and the Ultrasound Committee for the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine.

Dr. Toufic R. Jildeh, MD serves as a team physician for Michigan State Athletics, as well an assistant professor in the department of orthopedic surgery. He earned his bachelor of science from Michigan State and his medical doctorate from Wayne State University School of Medicine. Jildeh then attended Henry Ford Health System in Detroit for his orthopedic surgery training and was selected for a specialized Orthopedic Surgery Sports Medicine Fellowship at the Steadman Clinic/Steadman Philippon Research Institute in Vail, Colorado.

Garrett Briningstool, in his ninth year on the full-time staff with Michigan State Athletics, was named Assistant Athletics Director/General Manager of NIL in May 2024, assuming a leadership role in advancing MSU’s acclaimed Name, Image and Likeness program, Evergreen. Briningstool, who has worked with the men’s basketball program for seven years, continues to serve as the Chief of Staff to Head Coach Tom Izzo. He joined the program in 2019 as an executive assistant before being promoted to Chief of Staff in 2021. Briningstool made the transition to men's basketball in 2019 after spending the previous two years as the on-campus recruiting coordinator for the football program. In his role with football, Briningstool coordinated all recruiting special events, including all official and unofficial visits. He also assisted in the management of gameday operations and was responsible for football and basketball gameday tickets for all recruits and their guests. In addition, Briningstool worked alongside executive director of player personnel Sheldon White on the structure and direction of recruiting related projects. Briningstool, who started working for the football program in 2010, spent three years (2014-16) as an operations intern prior to his full-time appointment. He spent four years (2010-13) as an operations student assistant at MSU prior to his internship role in operations. Briningstool graduated from Michigan State with a bachelor’s degree in economics.

Jon Borovich is in his second stint with the Michigan State men’s basketball program, returning to East Lansing in August 2022 and is starting his second year as an assistant coach. Borovich, who started his coaching career at Michigan State as a graduate assistant from 2001-03 under Head Coach Tom Izzo, returned to East Lansing in August 2022 as the program’s director of recruiting operations and was named an assistant coach in June 2024. Since his return to the full-time staff, the Spartans have extended their NCAA Tournament to 27-straight appearances, reached the Elite Eight (2025) and the Sweet Sixteen (2023) and won the Big Ten regular season title last year by three games. Borovich has also been instrumental in scouting opponents, player development and has helped lead the team’s offense. Under his guidance, several players have earned postseason honors – Tyson Walker was a two-time All-Big Ten second team selection, A.J. Hoggard twice was named All-Big Ten, Jaden Akins earned All-Big Ten third team honors and was a member of the All-Defensive Team and Jase Richardson was selected to the All-Freshman team. Over the last three years, Borovich also helped to spearhead recruiting classes that ranked among the top-ranked in the country, with two players in the 2025-26 class who were among the top-60 players in their class and the 2024-25 class that was ranked No. 15 in the country by 247 Sports. In his first year back on staff, the coaching staff welcomed a 2023-24 recruit

Julian Stall is in his fifth year as the director of creative video for the men's basketball program, joining the team in June 2021. Stall serves as the program's videographer and works closely with the social media and communications staff to determine distribution on social media channels. Stall has been with the Michigan State Athletics Department for the last eight years, serving as a producer in Spartan Vision prior to joining the basketball program. Stall graduated from Michigan State in 2015 with a bachelor of arts in media and information. A native of DeWitt, Mich., he spent four years in the Spartan Marching Band and Spartan Brass.

Kristin Jakus is in her third year with Michigan State Athletics and her second as the team dietitian for the men's and women's basketball programs. Jakus came to East Lansing in September 2021 as a Performance Nutrition Basketball Fellow and took over in a full-time role in July 2022. Prior to her arrival at MSU, Jakus worked with the men's and women's basketball teams at the University of Arkansas from 2018-21. In addition, she worked with the women's volleyball and men's and women's golf teams. Jakus has experience in the NBA as well, working with the Milwaukee Bucks during the 2017-18 season in the Sports Nutrition Immersion Program (SNIP). While there, she also worked with the team's G-League affiliate, the Wisconsin Herd. A native of Colorado Springs, Colo., Jakus earned a bachelor of science in dietetics from the University of Northern Colorado in 2014 and went on to earn a masters of nutrition, with a concentration in sports nutrition, from the University of Utah in 2016. In 2019, Jakus was recognized as a Board-Certified Specialist in Sports Nutrition.

Began at Michigan State: 2016 Education: Richey received B.A. Purdue University 2003 and a M.Ed. from Virginia Tech 2005. Job Responsibilities: Richey provides medical services for the Men’s Basketball program. Past Experience: Richey most recently worked as the Head Football Athletic at Wake Forest University, prior to which he served as the Director of Sports Medicine/Head Athletic Trainer at Bowling State University. Richey began his career at Notre Dame before transitioning to Illinois.

Michigan State men’s basketball head coach Tom Izzo announced the addition of Saddi Washington, a Lansing native and the son of former Spartan great Stan Washington, to his staff as an assistant coach in June 2024. Washington came to the Michigan State program with nearly two decades of coaching experience, including eight years at Michigan. In joining the Spartans, Washington is part of a program just down the road from his childhood home and at the school where both his parents and his young brother attended. Last year, in his first in East Lansing, MSU finished the season with a 30-7 overall record, extended its NCAA Tournament streak to 27-straight appearances, reached the Elite Eight and finished the season ranked No.7 in the country. The Spartans posted a 17-3 record in the Big Ten Conference and won the league’s regular season title by three games, with two players earning all-conference honors. While at Michigan, Washington was responsible for working with the team’s wings and coordinated defensive strategies, helping guide the Wolverines to 176 wins, including a program-record 33 during the 2017-18 season when they closed the season with a national runner-up finish. During his eight-year run at UM, the Wolverines won 10-plus Big Ten games seven times (84-66) and the team won the 2021 regular season title and back-to-back B1G Tournaments (2017-18), made appearances in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament, reached the 2018 Final Four and the national title game against

Former Michigan State men's basketball standout and graduate assistant Thomas Kelley rejoined the Spartans program as an assistant coach in June 2022. Kelley...