Tom Izzo was going to have some tough decisions to make regarding backcourt minutes in East Lansing next season, but with the Divine Ugochukwu news dropping on Wednesday afternoon, he may no longer have to stress about that.
While losing a key member of the backcourt and one of the most improved 3-point shooters in college basketball can only really be classified as a negative, there are little positives that can come from it. The incoming Spartan freshman class is going to experience those positives.
The main beneficiaries of Ugochukwu leaving have to be Kur Teng and Jordan Scott because Divine had moved over more into that two-guard spot, but it also opens the door for incoming freshman Carlos Medlock Jr. to go from projected third ball-handler to the backup behind Jeremy Fears Jr.
Not only that, but it opens the door for Jasiah Jervis to get more run at the two. I think Scott will be the starter to begin the season and I do believe we'll see plenty of Teng, but I could see Izzo shift into small-ball lineups with Fears, Jervis, Scott, Coen Carr or Kaleb Glenn, and Anton Bonke or whoever is out there at center.
The flexibility will be there to take advantage of whoever the hot hands may be, but we're going to see a lot of the freshmen out of necessity after losing Ugochukwu.
These guys went from fighting for a scrap of leftover minutes to being backup -- or starting in Jervis' case -- options for a national title contender before even stepping foot on campus.
Tom Izzo's freshmen are going to be forced to develop quickly
Remember the last time Michigan State brought in a freshman class that kind of had to be held to the fire right away out of necessity? It was the 2016 group of Miles Bridges, Nick Ward, Cassius Winston, and Josh Langford. That class went on to win three Big Ten titles and make a Final Four.
I'm expecting the same type of early growth from the Spartan freshmen. While I see the backcourt minutes opening up for Jervis and Medlock, I could also see Ethan Taylor and Julius Avent leaving their marks, especially if Carson Cooper isn't back.
Jervis and Medlock are going to be forced into bigger roles than they were expecting about a week ago, and that's just OK with them.
By mid-season, I would bet that these two look like seasoned vets.
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