Getty Michigan State's Aaron Henry has pro potential.
Aaron Henry has helped Michigan State make a deep run in the NCAA tournament, but may need a bit more development before making his way to the NBA. Henry is absent from the majority of NBA mock drafts and big boards. The Athletic’s Brendan Quinn reported some NBA scouts were watching Henry for the first time during the NCAA tournament.
“Some NBA scouts here watching Aaron Henry for the first time are filling their notebooks,” Quinn tweeted on March 29.
The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie noted earlier this season that Henry will eventually be an NBA prospect.
“Aaron Henry is 1-2 years away from being an awesome draft prospect. Love that dude’s toughness,” Vecenie tweeted on January 27.
Henry averaged six points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.5 assists over his freshman season. The Michigan State forward has been a standout player during the NCAA tournament.
Henry had 20 points, eight rebounds and six assists against LSU in the Sweet 16. He had nine points and nine rebounds during Michigan State’s second-round matchup against Minnesota.
Video of Aaron Henry Being Yelled at by Tom Izzo Went Viral During March Madness
Things have not been all pleasant as Henry was part of a viral video earlier in March Madness. The video showed Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo forcefully yelling at Henry during a timeout. Izzo has since defended the incident by saying he is simply looking to get the best out of his players as Philly.com detailed.
I don’t think many people can understand. I’ve heard people say, ‘Well, in business you couldn’t do this.’ No, because it’s adults to adults. We’re still talking adults to players, just like my own kid, who is an 18-year-old.
When people have been through a lot and they have had success and they’ve been pushed to levels that they didn’t think they could be pushed to … now in saying that, do I need to figure out what approach is right? I think we do, because every player you do treat differently. You don’t treat everybody the same. Some need different things than others.
Henry Was a 4-Star Recruit Coming Out of High School
Henry was a four-star recruit coming out of Ben Davis High School whose other offers included Michigan, Purdue and Wisconsin. Rivals ranked Henry as the No. 115 ranked prospect in 2018. Here is how ESPN described Henry coming out of high school.
Aaron is a power wing or an undersized 4. His strengths are his versatility, competitiveness and toughness. He is a lefty and a good athlete. Offensively he is a solid mid range shooter and is good off the dribble either using his quickness versus bigger opponents or powering through smaller ones. Aaron is a good passer and facilitator of offense…
Henry is a solid probable 4 year player and contributor. He fits the Michigan State mantra of toughness and competitiveness (Izzo’s kind of player). His versatility allows him to not only play multiple positions but also contribute without being a major scorer. He is a good get for MSU. A “Glue-guy plus”.