EAST LANSING >> Tom Izzo and Robyn Fralick aren’t the only coaches building basketball teams at Michigan State. So is the Spartans’ football team, particularly in its wide receivers room.

For wide receivers coach Courtney Hawkins, there’s a lot of similarity between building a team on the hardwood and in his position group. In building this year’s group of receivers, Hawkins built a figurative starting five.

“The one thing with building a receiver room is (you) kind of look at it like a basketball team where you want to have a point guard, you want to have a shooting guard, you need a power forward, you need a center,” Hawkins explained after Tuesday’s 13th practice of spring ball. “So we needed different pieces to kind of help balance the room out.”

Building both depth and versatility was a top priority in the transfer portal this offseason, something last year’s roster left the Spartans wanting. And Michigan State got its hoopers. The Spartans added Evan Boyd, Chrishon McCray, Omari Kelly and Rodney Bullard Jr. to the mix as transfers, in addition to four freshmen signees and a crop of returners headlined by phenom Nick Marsh. All bring something a little bit different to the table, creating various different offensive looks.

Marsh remains the No. 1 receiver in this group, no doubt. He’s building on a freshman season in which he shattered Michigan State’s freshman receiving record with 649 yards to go along with three touchdowns. At 6-foot-3 and 201 pounds, Marsh has fairly average size for a wide receiver, but his athleticism was his greatest X-factor last season.

As good as record-breaking can be, there are still areas Michigan State wants Marsh to grow, especially with the burden of being the expected go-to guy. Marsh’s spring ball development has seen a particular emphasis on polishing his route running and becoming a leader in his room.

“Playing fast, being a playmaker,” Hawkins said. “Being that guy that we know on third down, the rock is coming to you — you gotta get open man. And having that mindset, he checks all those boxes.”

However, Marsh won’t be the only option in Michigan State’s starting five. Those four transfers factor in with a lot of speed, along with returning slot receiver Alante Brown, who is now healthy after spending much of last season out due to injury.

“We definitely got some guys that could fit in and play outside, play inside, and move ‘em around,” Brown said this month. “And try to disguise and pick apart the defense. So that’s what we’re liking so far in the room.”

The four transfers come from prominent roles on their former teams. They also come with a good mix of speed — “one-play” guys, as Hawkins highlighted at a position in which “speed kills.”

McCray (5-10, 168) accounted for 37.6% of Kent State’s receiving yards with a team-leading 705, and his nine touchdowns were half of his room’s production. He’s a speedster who can play in the slot at a diminutive size. For someone of his ilk, his quiet demeanor is rare. He wants to play for an offense that spreads the ball around rather than feeding him all game.

“What I hope from here is having more of a connection with the offense,” McCray said Tuesday, “and having it spread out throughout so everything’s not just about me.”

Kelly (6-foot, 187) was the very first commitment to Michigan State’s portal class. He ranked second on the Middle Tennessee roster in both receiving touchdowns (four) and receiving yards (869) — both two shy of the team leader in tight end Holden Willis. Both hauled in 53 catches.

At Division II Valdosta State, Bullard hauled in 42 catches for 1,001 yards and 12 touchdowns. In a national championship game loss to Ferris State, he caught three passes for 15 yards. The timing of that title game on Dec. 21 and the closing of the transfer portal on Dec. 28 made for a short window to join the Spartans. The 6-foot wideout had to prioritize the schools he visited and considered. In the end, Bullard picked Michigan State for the role coaches pitched him.

“I just really had to trust the coaches and believe what they were saying and be able to make my decision after that,” Bullard said Tuesday.

Last season at Central Michigan, Boyd (6-3, 210) ranked third on the team with 302 receiving yards and 21 receptions. He has spent most of spring ball out wide.

“The more versatile the team you are, the better you can be,” Boyd said.

Funny enough, Boyd is also a hooper, having played football and basketball at East Lansing High School. He’s used to playing shooting guard or at small forward. Maybe Izzo could use him as he looks for another guard in the portal, though juggling two sports didn’t work so well the last time when Keon Coleman did it.

With those four transfers plus Marsh and Brown, Michigan State has its starting five and a sixth man. Though some others may come off the bench at times to stick with the basketball analogy, it appears as though some combination of those six will play the bulk of the snaps.

Much like a group on the court, the minutes and snaps might change before and during the season. There’s still a long way until fall camp, and this group has a lot of parity to go along with depth. Both are useful for the Spartans going forward.

“I think we have a solid room,” Hawkins said. “Solid room, guys that are competing, and the cream will rise to the top this fall.”