HOLT, Mich. -- Michigan State coach Tom Izzo addressed several needs through the transfer portal this offseason. One of those was a backup point guard.
The Spartans found one with Divine Ugochukwu, a sophomore guard from Miami (FL), who averaged 5.3 points per game in 20.2 minutes of action with the Hurricanes. He started in 16 of 28 games.
Ugochukwu broke down what that portal process was like and more when he spoke to reporters at the Moneyball Pro-Am at Holt High School on Thursday.
You can watch below:
Michigan State transfer senior guard Trey Fort addressed the media on Tuesday. Below is a partial transcript:
On Kaleb Glenn's injury ...
Fort: "He is injured, but he's still there with us every single day. Just having him there with us being able to see him, it's going to make us just work harder. We're doing this for not only for us, but for him as well.
"We know how important this year is, as every year is important, but that sucks for anybody. I don't wish that on anybody on any team. So, just -- that can be tough mentally, so we're just going to be there for him and keep him in high spirits, and we're going to make sure we work and give it our all for him as well."
On if the team knew the severity of Glenn's injury right away ...
Fort: "Yeah, you can say that. But you always hope for something else. So when it happened, I was hoping it was a rolled ankle or hoping it was this or something like that, but it just sucks. It sucks because -- we wish him the best, speedy recovery. I mean, in this day and age, we got technology, we got all type of things that might speed things up, but we're not rushing him back. We want him to be 100%.
On if something like that brings the team together ...
Fort: "For sure, it definitely brings us together even more. One thing I can say, we're a real close team. Even just in this short amount of time, we're learning each other on and off the court, we're hanging out on and off the court. So, just hanging out off the court, it helps you on the court as well.
"So, with stuff like that, you just want to keep everybody in high spirits. So, we're not pushing him (Glenn) to the side."
On his basketball journey ...
Fort: "I don't even think it's a word for that one. But some -- if they were in my position -- they might say it was rocky, but honestly, I really feel like every situation I was in, it was a learning experience. Maybe it wasn't my time. I'm always looking for the good to come out of it -- a situation that made me tougher, a situation that made me mentally, physically, spiritually tougher.
"So, I just know what's for me is for me, and can't nobody stop that."
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