It is officially the craziest time of the year, with the NCAA transfer portal being open and in full swing, roster moves are being made all over the country in order to gear up for the 2025-26 campaign. Despite Tom Izzo’s wishes, Michigan State is no exception to the rule, and the Spartans will need to use the portal to keep pace with the rest of the nation.
With the Spartans having three departing seniors, and news coming out about Tre Holloman and Gehrig Normand deciding to transfer, there are already multiple moves Michigan State is going to have to make several roster moves already, before considering the possibility of other decisions being made.
Currently, with what we know about the roster, even if another move or two were to happen, it is pretty cut and dry to determine what the Spartans needs are out of the transfer portal.
Starting shooting guard
Writing this post, I am assuming that Jase Richardson is going to enter the NBA Draft, as most expect him to do. If Richardson does decide to return to East Lansing, consider that your “transfer portal add” at shooting guard. If things go as expected, and Richardson departs, it is going to be imperative that Izzo seeks a starter for the shooting guard spot via the portal.
While upcoming sophomore Kur Teng may be someone who the Spartans are ready to give an increased role to, I personally do not believe the team will be looking to enter the season with him as the starter.
Michigan State already has been linked to a power conference shooting guard transfer, and you can expect more players to get into the mix now that we have a better idea of where the roster is at following Tre Holloman’s departure.
Backup point guard
Jeremy Fears Jr. is the point guard of the present, and the point guard of the future for Michigan State, but one thing is for sure, Holloman’s departure has left a hole at the backup point guard position. Aside from Fears, there is not a point guard on Michigan State’s roster.
I expect Fears to eat up about 30 minutes per night for the Spartans, but there has to be an insurance policy in place in case of injury or foul trouble. All of that adds up to Izzo needing to add a backup point guard via the portal, especially since they will not be able to get one in the 2025 recruiting class at this point.
Of note, if Richardson decides to return to East Lansing, which I am not expecting, he may be able to step into the second point guard role.
Backup center
This is one that might end up being more of a luxury, but I can definitely see Izzo making a move for a backup center. Carson Cooper has earned the right to a starting role, but I don’t totally see him eating 30-35 minutes a night at the position, despite the looming possibility of foul trouble.
As of now, there is a little bit of depth at the position, including Jesse McCulloch, Jaxon Kohler and Xavier Booker, but getting a veteran center that can defend and rebound would be a smart addition for Izzo. Similar to the move made for Szymon Zapala a year ago, I could see Izzo dipping into the portal for a role playing center.
Backup 3PT shooting wing
It’s no secret that MSU was the worst shooting team in the Big Ten this past season, so wouldn’t it be wise to look for a sharpshooting small forward? It honestly doesn’t even have to be a guy who plays more than 10 minutes a night, think of the role Frankie Fidler played to end the season, but unlike Fidler, this guy being a sharpshooter from three in limited minutes could really bolster the MSU lineup.
This is certainly a luxury addition, and they might just give this role to incoming true freshmen Cam Ward and Jordan Scott, but a senior mid major player who is looking for a brief stint at college basketball’s biggest level, and okay with a minimal role, could really bolster Michigan State’s shooting abilities.
This article originally appeared on Spartans Wire: Michigan State basketball needs to pursue four positions in the portal
