Michigan State basketball: Mady Sissoko enters transfer portal

It’s a little surprising to see Mady enter the portal after spending four years in East Lansing and seemingly loving every second of it along with Tom Izzo, but chances are the Hall of Fame head coach led him to this decision. He talks to all players following the season about next steps and Izzo likely told Sissoko that there may not be a ton of playing time for him if he returned.

But he also probably led him to transfer instead of moving on from the collegiate level because he could still collect NIL money to help fund his school in Mali. That was one of the main reasons I expected him to return to Michigan State. Surprisingly, he’ll be playing elsewhere next season.

Of course, there’s still a chance he removes his name from the portal and opts to return to MSU, but I wouldn’t count on it. Usually when a player decides to hit the portal under Izzo, they’re gone. And I can guarantee there’s no bad blood here. Everyone wants Mady to succeed.

Sissoko had some flashes of greatness throughout his Michigan State basketball career, most notably against Gonzaga on the aircraft carrier last season as well against Oscar Tshiebwe and Kentucky, but he could never replicate that success during his senior year. His numbers dipped and his playing time dwindled, but he still showed up in some clutch spots (against Mississippi State).

Mady will make a positive impact on whatever program he chooses next.