Michigan State Basketball: Terrence Shannon would be ideal transfer option

Michigan State basketball could be in the market for a couple of transfers this offseason and Texas Tech’s Terrence Shannon Jr. would be an ideal option.

Less than 24 hours after losing to Duke in heartbreaking fashion, junior small forward Terrence Shannon Jr. announced he would be entering the transfer portal in order to look for a fresh start.

It was a bit of a shocking move since he had played 35 minutes in a Sweet 16 matchup with Duke the night before, but he clearly is looking for a change. Sometimes players hit a wall and need a fresh start to revitalize a career. Plus, Shannon suffered a back injury this season after being an NBA draft prospect in 2021 and that hurt his stock a bit.

Being from the Midwest, he could be looking toward Big Ten country for his next home and there’s one program that will be very active in the portal this offseason and needs a scoring threat on the wing: Michigan State.

The Spartans have already reached out to West Virginia’s Jalen Bridges and he could fill that Gabe Brown-like role on the wing but Shannon may be an even better fit.

Shannon is a scorer on the wing who can put the ball on the floor and win one-on-ones with pure athleticism. He’s 6-foot-6 and 215 pounds and is a mismatch because of his athleticism and oozes confidence. He averaged 10.4 points and shot 46 percent from the floor and 38 percent from deep in 2021-22 for a Texas Tech team that made the Sweet 16. He also played on an elite defensive team under Mark Adams so he’s no stranger to locking down on the wing.

Imagine him in a starting lineup with AJ Hoggard, Max Christie, Malik Hall, and a transfer center. It would be a lineup full of athletic scorers and an elite facilitator.

Tom Izzo didn’t recruit Shannon out of high school but it feels like he should reach out here because Big Ten programs like Michigan and Illinois have already contacted him.

It’s better to have this kid on your side than to face him twice next year. He’s that good.