When he was growing up, K.J. Torbert would go to Aim High Sports and watch former Michigan State greats like Cassius Winston, Miles Bridges and Jaren Jackson Jr. wow Spartan fans at the Moneyball Pro-Am.
And as his high school career at East Lansing progressed, the dream of playing in the event himself became more of a reality.
Just last week, Torbert made his Moneyball debut, scoring 20 points for Team Tri-Star Trust alongside MSU’s Coen Carr and Jesse McCullough.
“It’s been a dream of mine after seeing all those guys play in it, and now to finally be here, it’s a lot of fun to experience,” Torbert said. “Being able to play with such high-level guys, and it’s cool to be playing with some friends from the high school area again.”
Torbert, the 2026 Mr. Basketball winner in Michigan, just returned to the area from summer workouts with his college team at Bowling Green, where former MSU point guard Tum Tum Nairn — another player Torbert remembers watching at the Pro-Am — is an assistant coach with the Falcons.
Torbert committed to Bowling Green back in November before his final high school season, fresh off helping lead East Lansing to the 2025 Division 1 state title. The Trojans nearly repeated as champs in 2026, reaching the championship game before falling to Rockford in the final.
Now Torbert, who is the son of former MSU star Kelvin Torbert, has set some lofty goals for himself in preparation for his first college season.
“I’m trying to be the MAC freshman of the year, win some freshman of the week honors and continue to evolve as a player and a person,” Torbert said. “Those were goals I had already set in my mind for wherever I committed to, and I’ve stuck with them ever since.
“It’s been great getting to know some of the other new guys and the returning players here in the summer, and we’ve developed a good bond already.”
The Moneyball Pro-Am at Holt High School continues with games July 21 and July 23 at Holt High School. Play begins at 6 p.m. each night.
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: After watching MSU stars as a kid, K.J. Torbert now thriving himself at Moneyball
Reporting by Nathaniel Bott, Lansing State Journal / Lansing State Journal
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By Nathaniel Bott, Lansing State Journal | USA TODAY Network
