Former Michigan State Basketball Guard Divine Ugochukwu to LSU

On Thursday, amidst all the news of Michigan State football schedule, the only Michigan State basketball player in the portal announced his commitment elsewhere. It appears that another player has been lured into the Will Wade trap, as Divine Ugochukwu will follow Will Wade to LSU.

Ugochukwu Leaves Michigan State Basketball as a “What If”

The Miami (Fl.) transfer was only in East Lansing for one season, and the backup point guard found himself thrust into the starting shooting guard role early in the season as Kur Teng and Trey Fort III struggled to find consistency and defense that met Tom Izzo’s standard.

As a result, Ugochukwu became a starter at a spot different than his expected role, and had some flashes. He was the hero of the Penn State game, saving the Spartans from a potential embarrassing loss to the Nittany Lions with a career-high 23 points.

He was a steady hand in the ECU and Colgate games, scoring 16 and 12 points each, respectively.

The main note for Ugochukwu was his improvement under Tom Izzo’s coaching, with the guard improving his three-point shot from below 20% to a 44% clip from beyond the arc. His free throw shooting also went up 8%, along with doubling his steal total from his season with the Hurricanes.

Despite the Spartans’ 11-1 mark with Ugochukwu as a starter, the Spartans turned towards freshman forward Jordan Scott for the Minnesota game after the freshman got hot while Ugochukwu was in a slump. Unfortunately, Scott’s first start was marred by Ugochukwu suffering a season-ending injury in his foot against the Gophers. While there was optimism he could return for the Final Four or National Championship Game, the Spartans never had a chance, falling in the Sweet 16 to UConn.

At the end of the day, the question becomes, “what if Ugochukwu stayed.” The guard showed promise before his injury, but he never got the chance to show his progression in a second season with Izzo.

Cryptic Remarks by Teammates, Coaches

Ugochukwu hit the portal during the last few hours it was open, and it led to some thinly-veiled messages from the team and Tom Izzo about how it was not Ugochukwu pushing for the transfer. Jeremy Fears Jr., who is still currently in the NBA Draft, posted a remark about how it is people in “your own corner” on his Instagram story. Tom Izzo said that the guard seemed very broken up about the decision and that he did not want to leave.

Even as recently as last week, Ugochukwu was seen at Little Caesar’s Arena watching the Pistons take on the Orlando Magic and Spartan rookie Jase Richardson.

This is a portal situation that reeks of tampering and money, with someone (likely, an agent) finding the biggest payday over development. Now, a collegiate player that was settling into a solid role begins at his third school in three years.

The Grass is Not Always Greener

While wishing Ugochukwu the best of luck, there is something to remember. Last season, Tre Holloman shocked the Spartan faithful with his decision to transfer. The hero from the Maryland game took his talents to NC State and Will Wade, where it appeared he was promised more of the role he wanted. The backup point guard appeared to be pursuing more time starting at guard.

As for how his final season went? Holloman started some, came off the bench for a few games, and it appeared his development was a flatline compared to his junior numbers. Now, Holloman is in the portal hoping for one more season of eligibility, posting multiple pictures in East Lansing and the Breslin Center practice gym.

Last year, a guard transferred to Will Wade’s school, saw his progression as a flatline, and is hoping for a return home. This year, the first part of that story started repeating. We can only hope that Ugochukwu will continue to progress on his numbers instead of being mismanaged by a coach with a checkered past.