It’s been an interesting year for Tom Izzo and Michigan State basketball. And by interesting, I mean it’s been a roller-coaster.<\/p>\n
First, the Spartans were ranked in the top five to start the season and then they quickly fell out of the rankings thanks to a sub-.500 start and loss to James Madison at home in the opener. Then they got hot and shellacked Baylor and went on a winning streak heading into Christmas break before losing Jeremy Fears for the season after he was shot in the leg in his hometown. Michigan State was up-and-down in Big Ten play but showed flashes of being that top-five team. Never enough, though, to chase a conference title. The Spartans were then beaten in the second round of the NCAA Tournament by 1-seed North Carolina after holding an early double-digit lead.<\/p>\n
A big reason for the struggles was the inconsistency from starting point guard AJ Hoggard.<\/p>\n
The senior point guard was supposed to be the best point guard in the Big Ten and one of the best in the country after finishing 2022-23 strong with a Sweet 16 run, but he fell short of all expectations. He became one of the most criticized players and it seemed to take a toll on him.<\/p>\n
READ:<\/strong> Projected post-spring 2-deep depth chart for MSU football in 2024<\/a><\/p>\n Following the 2023-24 season, he had the option to come back to East Lansing for a fifth year, but Tom Izzo made it clear that he wouldn’t be back<\/a>. Shortly after, Hoggard entered the transfer portal.<\/p>\n And on Sunday, he released his top five transfer destinations for his final season of college basketball. And he may be a Big Ten foe next year.<\/p>\n Sources: Michigan State transfer A.J. Hoggard has cut his list to the following programs.<\/p>\n Florida — Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) May 5, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n
Georgia
Vanderbilt
USC
Washington<\/p>\n