2 former Michigan State basketball players face off on Wednesday

Michigan State basketball fans geared up for what was going to be the toughest early-season matchup and potentially the best team the Spartans would face all year on Tuesday night but unfortunately, the No. 1 Kansas Jayhawks came away with a win.

The Spartans are still 2-1 on the year and they look like a team that could make some noise this season.

And while the next Michigan State game isn’t until Saturday against Bowling Green, fans will get a chance to cheer on some former Spartans on Wednesday night in an interesting non-conference battle.

That’s right, two Michigan State transfers will take the court on Wednesday night in Nashville as AJ Hoggard’s Vanderbilt Commodores will host Mady Sissoko’s Cal Golden Bears. The two decided to transfer this offseason after discussions with Tom Izzo and they landed at power conference programs on opposite sides of the country. And both are looking to have a bit of a career resurgence.

In his first game with Vanderbilt (he was suspended one game for participating in the Portsmouth Invitational this offseason), Hoggard had 11 points, four assists, two rebounds, two steals, and a block, but he shot just 2-for-11 from the floor and 0-for-6 from deep with two turnovers and four fouls. His Commodores only beat Southeast Missouri 85-76 in that performance.

On the other hand, Mady has played fairly well, particularly on the defensive end, averaging 6.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks and he’s 3-for-3 from the field through two games and 7-for-11 from the free throw line. He’s averaging 23 minutes per game and doesn’t seem to be looking for his own shots on offense, not even attempting one against Cal Poly in the Golden Bears’ last win.

While it’d be fun to watch these two guys in action with their new teams, you’ll have to stream it on ESPN+ if you want to see it live. The game tips off at 8 p.m. ET and if you’re into betting, the Commodores are 7.5-point favorites.