Michigan State Basketball: 5 ideal transfer portal targets

Michigan State basketball is likely to utilize the transfer portal this offseason and these are my ideal targets.

Tom Izzo has yet to land a transfer portal commit in this year’s cycle, but he doesn’t appear to be far away. This year’s transfer portal is rich with talent, and all signs point to Michigan State basketball landing at least one player. The team’s existing roster has plenty of young talent, but adding a proven veteran could really transform this year’s squad into a legitimate contender.

Here are a few intriguing options.

Cade Tyson, SF, Belmont

Cade Tyson just concluded a 2023-24 campaign at Belmont that saw him average 16.2 points and 5.9 rebounds per contest. His main selling point, though, is his 3-point shooting. During that aforementioned season, he shot an incredible 46.5% from beyond the arc. He’s a Bryn Forbes-caliber shooter. The 6-foot-7 (!) wing also has multiple years of eligibility remaining — an outstanding cherry on top for a player there’s already so much to like about. He would immediately fill a shooting void left by the departure of Tyson Walker and allow Jaden Akins to shift back to guard. Unfortunately for the Spartans, Tyson is going to be heavily pursued by other top programs as well. He’s the complete package — size, shooting, youth — and that’s unsurprisingly very highly coveted. I have no doubt that Tom Izzo could land him, but if he does choose to pursue, it’s going to be an uphill battle.

Jordan Pope, G, Oregon State

Six-foot-two guard Jordan Pope just concluded an outstanding season in which he averaged 17.6 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game as the No. 1 option on his team.

Sound familiar?

In a lot of ways, Pope is very, very similar to Michigan State’s own Tyson Walker. Obviously, Pope played on an inferior team, but the resemblance is there. The two share very similar builds, roles, skillsets, and have produced comparable results — the key difference being that Pope is two years younger. Walker was a huge part of this Michigan State basketball team, and Pope would be as close to a 1-for-1 replacement as possible. He established himself as one of the premiere scorers in the Pac-12 and would look to continue that with the Spartans. If Tom Izzo wants to make sure his backcourt doesn’t miss a beat, landing Jordan Pope would be one of the best ways to ensure that. Only downside is that it could affect Jaden Akins’ decision to stay.

Maxime Raynaud, C, Stanford

Michigan State has lacked an intimidating presence at the center position for a few years now. If Tom Izzo was able to land Maxime Raynaud, though, that all would change. Not only does the Stanford transfer possess intimidating size at 7-foot-1 and 250 pounds, he’s made great use of it, too — the senior is coming off a season in which he averaged 15.5 points and 9.6 rebounds per game while shooting 56.7% from the field. He’s one of the best big men in the country, and players of his caliber do not come around very often. Raynaud would also fit perfectly into the MSU lineup, neatly filling the hole at the center position. He’s the kind of dominating big man that the Spartans sorely need. Raynaud should be the No. 1 frontcourt target for Tom Izzo.

Javon Small, G, Oklahoma State

Returning to the topic of replacing Walker/Hoggard, guard Javon Small is a very strong candidate to help do just that. The rising senior has good size at 6-foot-3 and has put up some great numbers throughout his career. In his most recent campaign, Small averaged 15.1 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game — he can do plenty of everything. He also shot 37.4% from 3-point range. Small has all the makings of a lead guard, and Michigan State would be very lucky to have him. He’d immediately assume one of the starting guard spots in East Lansing. Unfortunately, he recently listed the schools who have reached out so far and Michigan State wasn’t on there.

PF Great Osobor, Utah State

Fresh off winning Mountain West Player of the Year, power forward Great Osobor is looking for a high-major opportunity. He just finished a season in which he led Utah State to the round of 32, averaging 17.7 points and 9.0 rebounds throughout the year and shooting an efficient 57.7% from the field. That’s pretty impressive stuff. The talent is all there with Osobor, and he’d be a massive boost to a Michigan State basketball team that desperately needs proven players in the frontcourt. The team is losing Malik Hall, and the former Aggie would be an outstanding replacement at the same position.

It’s worth noting, though, that in scenario, Xavier Booker may be pushed to the center position. That’s not necessarily what many fans planned on, but with two top-notch bigs, provisions must be made. Osobor would be worth it. He has some serious talent, and will do very well at the Power Five level wherever he lands.

It’s not the only way to go, but a fearsome Booker-Osobor frontcourt would be an outstanding step towards seriously competing in 2024.