Michigan State guard Gehrig Normand making shots, moving better in Moneyball Pro-Am play
Holt, Mich. – When he signed with Michigan State in a consensus Top 10 recruiting class in 2023, Gehrig Normand wanted to be part of something bigger than himself. Because of his desire to play in a college program with a tradition of going to Final Fours and to be pushed by a Hall of Fame Coach that would challenge him to be the best version of himself, Normand was willing to redshirt during his first year in the Spartan program on a roster featuring several veteran guards.
That doesn’t mean it was easy. As a competitor, watching games from the bench, without being able to contribute was difficult for Normand, who signed with the Spartans as the No. 82 overall player and No. 20 shooting guard in the On3 Industry Ranking.
“For sure it was tough coming into a big program like this,” said Normand, who is averaging a shade under 20 points per game in Moneyball Pro-Am games playing for currently unbeaten Team Tri-Star Trust alongside junior big man Jaxon Kohler. “There are a bunch of talented guys here. There are guys like me all over. There are recruits all over.”
One year into his Spartan career, however, Normand doesn’t regret his decision to sign with Michigan State. Competing against teammates as a member of the scout team when healthy last season made Normand a better player.
“Competition is the best thing about it,” Normand said, “just being able to compete against these guys. I love these guys. They are great friends and we’ve built relationships over the last two years. It’s awesome working with these guys and competing against them every day.”
The increased level of competition has pushed Normand to work on his craft and to get serious about nutrition and conditioning as a means of improving his athleticism. This summer, Normand is leaner, stronger, and moving better as a result.
Normand’s improved conditioning has been noticeable on the defensive end of the floor during Moneyball Pro-Am games. That may sound strange given that defense is rarely played in the event. Even so, there have been times this summer where Normand has been isolated defensively against a Michigan State teammate looking to energize the crowd with a highlight at his expense. In such instances, Normand has picked up his defensive intensity.
Matched up head-to-head against Tre Holloman during the second week of Moneyball Pro-am action, Normand managed to keep the crafty sophomore point guard in front of him when isolated on the wing. Moving better on defense is a bigger development for Normand than anything he may do on offense this summer. If he can show himself to be a reliable defensive player in practice, his opportunity to earn regular playing time at Michigan State this season will increase substantially.
“I am excited about how I am moving,” Normand said. “I feel like I can guard anybody right now. I am excited about this upcoming year, and what is to come.”
At 6-foot-5, 190, Normand provides some size at the shooting guard position that the Spartans have lacked in recent years. Between Normand, Coen Carr (6-5, 220), a sophomore, and transfer Frankie Fidler (6-7, 217), the Spartans have added some bigger bodies to the guard position. Teammates Holloman and Kur Teng are both in the 6-2 to 6-3 range, but both possess the defensive length to play bigger than their respective heights.
If Normand can earn a spot in the Michigan State rotation this season, the second-year Spartan from Texas should provide his team with much-needed scoring off the bench. Reliable perimeter scoring is something the Spartans struggled with at times last season when Tyson Walker and Jaden Akins struggled to make shots.
“We do and try and get up 300 catch-and-shoot makes a day, just catching and shooting,” Normand said. “It’s not just catch and shoot, we work on everything, just trying to take my game to the ultimate level.”
Normand has shown himself to be one of the better perimeter scorers participating in Moneyball Pro-Am games this summer. Entering the third week of Moneyball games, Normand ranked in Top 5 in made threes, averaging 3.3 triples per game through for games. Only Frankie Fidler, Jaden Akins, and Tre Holloman made more threes going into this week than Normand.
“Both offensively and defensively, I think I can do a lot of things, and help this team,” Normand said.
That would certainly be welcome for a Michigan State tasked with replacing a 2,000-point scorer in Walker and a pair of 1,000-point scorers in AJ Hoggard and Malik Hall.
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