Team Faygo and Michigan State's Divine Ugochukwu, right, makes a 3-pointer against Team Motorcars during the Moneyball Pro-Am on Tuesday, June 24, 2025, at Holt High School. Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Ugochukwu on What His Role Will Be With MSU

Originally posted on Michigan State Spartans on SI
By Aidan Champion | Last updated Jun 30, 2025 1:04 PM ET

One of Michigan State's more underrated players going into next season is sophomore point guard Divine Ugochukwu, who transferred over from Miami (FL).

The expectation is that the young guard will back up redshirt sophomore point guard Jeremy Fears Jr.

But what does that entail?

"Just being able just to compete with Jeremy each and every day, getting each other better at practice," Ugochukwu said, "and then, coming into the game and doing my role and just filling it up or even turning it up a notch from wherever Jeremy left off at."

Playing behind a great floor general like Fears should be advantageous for the young guard as he enters his second year at the collegiate level.

"Me and Jeremy -- he's a really cool guy, a real fun guy, a real high-energy, high guy," Ugochukwu said, "so we really compete at practice, and it's good."

While Miami had an abysmal season, finishing just 7-24, Ugochukwu got some valuable experience in his lone year in South Beach.

"I got to play a lot of minutes, which is always good as a freshman, getting to play a lot of minutes, especially at this level," he said. "Which is always good."

"And then, just competing and then even trying to tune out everything that's maybe not going as (planned) and just trying to tune that out and just trying to hold my team accountable and trying to do the best I can to be a leader and step up in moments like that."

It's a big difference going from a team that won seven games to a team that comes off a run to the Elite Eight. For the returners, they want to get back to that point, and they're making sure the rest are on board.

"They know what Michigan State basketball is all about," Ugochukwu said. "So, they're trying to just continue to bring it where they left off at."

Ugochukwu averaged just over 20 minutes per game last season. He averaged 5.3 points and 2.3 assists in 28 games. He made 16 starts.

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