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Michigan State looks to fill big gaps this offseason without many big-name roster additions
Michigan State lost its three leading scorers from 2023-24 this offseason due to graduation, and failed to capitalize on any of the big name recruits it was linked with. Tyson Walker (18 ppg, 3 apg), Malik Hall (13 ppg, 6 rpg), and AJ Hoggard (11 ppg, 5 apg) were the three top scorers, all providing a vast amount of experience and leadership that will greatly be missed in 2024-25.
The highlighted addition for the Spartans this offseason is Omaha transfer Frankie Fidler (20 ppg, 6 rpg), a 6-7 forward who can get to the rim with ease and a little bit of flair as well. Fidler has also shown flashes of being able to hit from three, shooting a career average of 35.4% from behind the arc. He likely won’t match his output from his Omaha seasons, but he needs to be somewhere close to fill the gap left by the departure of Malik Hall.
Fidler was a big get for Tom Izzo, but the other important aspect for the Spartans this offseason was their talent retention. The Spartans bring back seven rotational players from last season, all of whom will likely see increased roles in 2024-25. Jaden Akins (10 ppg, 4 rpg) is the biggest name, a player who many hyped as a breakout star last offseason, but it didn’t really happen. With Walker and Hoggard gone, maybe now it’s the year of Jaden Akins. Jeremy Fears Jr. (4 ppg, 3 apg) missed the entire second half of the season after suffering a leg injury due to a shooting wound over winter break but had been the best performing freshman from last year’s recruiting class. Fears should be healthy for 2024-25 and should be another good option to break out for the Spartans.
Xavier Booker (4 ppg, 2 rpg) saw increased minutes over the last eight games of the season, and although he looked a bit out of place at times as a freshman, he looks to be the breakout player in the Spartans’ frontcourt with a full offseason under his belt. Akins, Fears, and Booker will be the big breakout candidates for the Spartans, the three most likely candidates to enter the starting lineup alongside Frankie Fidler. The other four returners consist of Tre Holloman (6 ppg, 2 apg), Carson Cooper (3 ppg, 4 rpg), Coen Carr (3 ppg), and Jaxon Kohler (2 ppg).
The Big Ten gets another notch deeper in 2024-25 with the additions of Oregon, UCLA, USC, and Washington, and it may be tough for Michigan State to stay afloat without breakout seasons from many of their returners. I currently have the Spartans pegged 11th in the Big Ten, right behind teams like Illinois, Maryland, and Nebraska. Tom Izzo is a legendary coach and he’ll have to prove it this season with an unproven roster out on the court. Jaden Akins, Jeremy Fears Jr., and Xavier Booker will all have to step up this offseason if Izzo wants to reach another tournament, something that is definitely within reach.
Other Things to Note:
- UTSA transfer PJ Carter (10 ppg, 2 rpg) commits to Rice
- Memphis transfer and former Vermont commit Jayhlon Young (2 ppg, 1 apg) commits to Maryland
- Kansas State transfer Arthur Kaluma (14 ppg, 7 rpg) will visit SMU this week
- Providence commit Oswin Erhunmwunse (2025, Unranked) will reclassify to 2024 and be eligible for this upcoming season for the Friars