Mar 1, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Miami (Fl) Hurricanes guard Divine Ugochukwu (99) with the ball in the first half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

How Does MSU's Ugochukwu Improve Next Year's Team?

Originally posted on Michigan State Spartans on SI
By Tom Cavanaugh | Last updated May 20, 2025 12:09 PM ET

The Michigan State Spartans earned a major transfer addition this past weekend in the form of former Miami (FL) guard Divine Ugochukwu. He was one of the final pieces to the puzzle after multiple transfer departures and graduations thinned the Spartans' Big Ten title-winning roster.

In just one season with the Hurricanes, Ugochukwu averaged 5.3 points on 48.3% shooting with 1.9 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 20.1 minutes per game. Miami was atrocious last season, going 7-24, but there were some bright spots in Ugochukwu's game that will translate well to Michigan State.

At 6-3, 190 pounds with three years of eligibility remaining, Ugochukwu was a strong addition for head coach Tom Izzo and his team. He adds elite ball handling skills with limited turnovers at just 1.6 per game last year, and some strong defensive play with 1.0 steals per contest.

One of the biggest reasons why Ugochukwu's addition is so valuable is due to the fact that the Spartans were without a second point guard up to this point. In our recent projection of the Spartans' lineup for next season, Jeremy Fears Jr. was the only point guard.

Adding Ugochukwu is going to add depth and maintain production on the court even when Fears is on the bench. He can also play alongside Fears as the No. 2 guard with forward Coen Carr and former Samford guard Tre Fort.

The two areas that the Sugar Land, Texas native will need to improve are at the free-throw line and the output of shots he is putting up from the field. He averaged just 4.1 field goal attempts last year while shooting 63% from the charity stripe. Elevating both of those numbers will make him much better.

With the roster pretty much complete, predictions can start to be made regarding Ugochukwu's playing time and production next season. If he is able to produce as an elite scoring point guard while contributing on the defensive end, he may earn 25-plus minutes per game for Izzo.

The Spartans will tip off the 2025-26 season in early November, getting the first look at Ugochukwu and the rest of this new-look Spartan squad. Izzo added a ton of depth at the guard position this season, and it will be interesting to see how it will pay off.