Michigan State junior guard Bryn Forbes has been granted an NCAA waiver and is eligible to play for the Spartans in the upcoming 2014-15 season

Michigan State junior guard Bryn Forbes has been granted an NCAA waiver and is eligible to play for the Spartans in the upcoming 2014-15 season. A native of Lansing, Michigan, Forbes will have two seasons of eligibility remaining after transferring from Cleveland State to Michigan State in June.

Quote from MSU basketball head coach Tom Izzo

“This is certainly good news for Bryn. Family is very important to Bryn and we are supportive of those obligations. I’d like to thank Jen Smith in our compliance office for all her efforts. Sometimes you look at waiver cases and question the intentions, but if there was ever a case where one seemed to be in order, this is it. Bryn is sincere in his desire to be there for his family, and he and I have discussed the work that will be needed to balance that with everything that comes along with being a student-athlete at Michigan State.

“On the court, he had a great summer shooting the ball, and we expect him to add that to our offense this season. There’s still room for him to improve as a player, but I’ve already enjoyed coaching him in the limited time we’ve had this summer.”

Quote from Bryn Forbes

“I’m very thankful to the NCAA for allowing me to play this season. I also want to thank Coach Waters and the Cleveland State program for being supportive of my desire to return home. My family is extremely important to me and I can’t think of a better situation than being able to play in my hometown. This is truly a blessing to me. I’m happy to have this behind me, so that I can focus on balancing basketball, school and family obligations. I just look forward to contributing to the team any way I can.

“I’ve only been a Spartan for a few months, but it already feels like home. My teammates have been great and accepted me immediately as part of the family. It’s great to be reunited with my old teammate Denzel, and my high school coach, Carlton Valentine, has been a great support to me throughout this process. I also have to thank Jen Smith for all her work in compliance and submitting my waiver and all the necessary information. I’m so excited; I can’t wait for the start of the season.”

Bryn Forbes Bio

A high school teammate of Denzel Valentine's at Lansing Sexton where they teamed up to win back-to-back state championships in 2011 and 2012, Forbes earned second team NABC All-District 12 honors in addition to his second-team all-conference accolades. His 15.6 points per game scoring average not only led the Vikings, but also ranked sixth in the Horizon League. He ranked second in the league in 3-point field goals made (2.5 pg), trailing only Oakland's Travis Bader, the NCAA's all-time leading 3-point shooter. Shooting accuracy was also a strength, as Forbes ranked fourth in the Horizon League in 3-point field-goal percentage (.424) and fifth in free-throw percentage (.826). Forbes also ranked fourth in minutes played (34.4 mpg). His 81 made 3-point field goals established a Cleveland State single-season school record. He started all 32 games in which he played, while also averaging 3.1 rebounds and 1.7 assists. He scored in double figures in 26 of 32 games, including 10 games of 20 or more. He scored a career-high 27 points on two occasions against Detroit and Notre Dame (OH), while scoring 22 points at Kentucky.

As a freshman in 2012-13, Forbes averaged 12.7 ppg and earned Horizon League Newcomer of the Year honors, while also finding a spot on the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Freshman All-American team. He ranked 11th in the Horizon League in scoring and eighth in 3-point field goals made per game (2.0 pg). He started 18 of 32 games and averaged 28.3 minutes per game.

In two seasons, he has totaled 905 points, and scored in double figures in 50 of 64 contests, including 14 games of 20 points or more. He is a prolific 3-point shooter, hitting 142-of-348 (.408) over his first two seasons.