Michigan State Should Remain Patient in the Transfer Portal

Now imagine if both of those players were able to return to Michigan State for the 2025-26 season.​​ 

As college basketball has begun to mirror professional sports, Michigan State needs to view the portal more like a draft, where it can identify undervalued players that have the capacity to develop for multiple years under Izzo. 

There won’t be as much competition for some of these players, as many programs are chasing transfers with big names and use the portal more like free agency. 

For instance, the Spartans’ most notable transfer, guard Tyson Walker, played two seasons at Northeastern as an all-conference player before making the leap to the Big Ten. Under the coaching and development of Izzo and his staff, Walker transformed his game in three seasons in East Lansing. 

The undersized guard began his tenure with the Spartans coming off the bench averaging eight points per game but ended his career averaging 18 points per game in his final season and received All-Big Ten honors twice.

Besides, many of the highest-valued transfers in recent years haven’t lived up to their inflated NIL valuations. 

Look at Kansas forward AJ Storr, who transferred from Wisconsin and St. John’s, received a large NIL offer, only to score six points per game off the bench, as the Jayhawks fell to a No. 7 seed and lost in the first round of March Madness.

On the other hand, the Florida Gators won the National Championship after landing transfer guard Walter Clayton Jr., who averaged 22.3 points per game in the NCAA Tournament.

The question remains for the Spartans: Are they a player like Clayton Jr. away from a national title? At the moment, no, Michigan State needs more than just one transfer to contend.

If the Spartans exhaust their NIL resources on a big-name prospect for one season, what will be the return? What happens when that same player goes 0-for-12 in a big game? 

The factor that made the Spartans so dangerous last season was "strength in numbers" and that a different player stepped up almost every game. This should be something Michigan State builds its identity around for the future.

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