Michigan State basketball reaches out to Radford transfer Carlik Jones

Michigan State basketball may be in the market for Cassius Winston’s replacement via the transfer portal and that may be Radford’s Carlik Jones.

It’s hard to believe the 2019-20 season has been over for two weeks now and we should be talking about the upcoming Sweet 16 matchups and Elite Eight which would have taken place this weekend, but instead we’re previewing the 2020-21 campaign.

The COVID-19 outbreak has changed everyone’s lives and that includes Cassius Winston who saw his last hurrah cut short.

And Tom Izzo is now tasked with finding a replacement for Cassius at point guard and while Rocket Watts is the likely choice, there’s a good chance the Spartans could dip into the transfer market. The Spartans have already reached out to UNLV transfer Amauri Hardy and Harvard’s Bryce Aiken expressed interest in MSU.

On Thursday, a new name emerged.

Carlik Jones was named the Big South Player of the Year at Radford and when his name hit the market, it obviously came with an influx of interest.

In fact, he heard from over 15 schools when he announced he’d be entering the portal as a grad transfer and then Michigan State came calling later in the day. The Spartans would have to fight off fellow Big Ten programs Illinois, Maryland and Ohio State if they want to land him.

Jones had one heck of a redshirt junior season with Radford, averaging a career-high 20 points to go along with 5.5 assists and 1.4 steals per game in 2019-20. He also shot 49 percent from the floor, 41 percent from 3-point range and 81 percent from the free throw line. He would be the ideal offensive addition for the Spartans as he can create for himself and others.

There’s no doubt he’ll be one of the most sought-after guards on the market so the Spartans are going to have an uphill battle on their hands.