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AJ Hoggard lobbying for Michigan State basketball to land 4-star PG

ByConnor Muldowney|
Jan 21, 2024; College Park, Maryland, USA; Michigan State Spartans head coach Tom Izzo speaks with Mguard A.J. Hoggard (11) during a time out in the first half against the Maryland Terrapins at Xfinity Center. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images
Jan 21, 2024; College Park, Maryland, USA; Michigan State Spartans head coach Tom Izzo speaks with Mguard A.J. Hoggard (11) during a time out in the first half against the Maryland Terrapins at Xfinity Center. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images | Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

There haven't been many Michigan State basketball players quite as polarizing as AJ Hoggard throughout the years.

The Coatesville, Penn., product came to Michigan State in 2020 and had to wait for his turn to run the offense. That didn't take long as he averaged 20.2 minutes per game as a sophomore, averaging 7.0 points and 4.8 assists per game. As a junior, he broke out and averaged 12.9 points and 5.9 assists per game and it was clear that when he was locked in, he was hard to stop.

Unfortunately, he wore out his welcome in 2023-24 when Michigan State began the season in the top five and eventually dropped out of the rankings thanks to a season-opening loss to James Madison followed by a few more inexplicable defeats.

Hoggard was often criticized for "not caring enough" and just looking uninterested, especially when things were going wrong. But he shook that off in interviews and just said that's how he always looks.

Despite having another year of eligibility to work with, he opted to enter the transfer portal in 2024 and he chose to play for Vanderbilt where he started 31 games and averaged 9.6 points and 4.6 assists for one of the most improved teams in the country.

But he still loves Michigan State despite everything that has happened.

Hoggard has spoken highly of MSU coaches and players throughout the past year and now he's even lobbying for the Spartans to land one of the top point guards in the 2026 class.

Carlos Medlock Jr. is at the top of Tom Izzo's 2026 recruiting board and he's getting him on campus for Grind Week in September. And Hoggard wants to see him join the Spartans.

Hoggard's love for Michigan State despite him moving on from the Spartans isn't a huge surprise as we've seen other former Spartans do the same in the past -- Korie Luscious comes to mind. But it's also not surprising because his Twitter picture is of him with his arm around Izzo.

This stems from the elite culture that Izzo has built. You love to see it.

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