The legend of Matt McQuaid in East Lansing is one that you’d just have to live through to understand. He wasn’t an elite player, but he was so good at his role at Michigan State and he was arguably the X-factor in the Spartans’ run to a Final Four back in 2019.
Michigan State couldn’t have gotten to a Final Four without him — and obviously Cassius Winston.
McQuaid was the guy who caught fire in the Big Ten Championship to help elevate the Spartans past the Wolverines for a third time in a month, he was the one who scored some wild (the spinning, no-look layup) baskets to help beat Duke, and he was one made three away from lifting Michigan State past Texas Tech in the Final Four. Now I’m reliving that missed corner three in my head again. Just ruined my entire week.
Still, McQuaid was one of the most popular Spartans from the past decade. The dude who looked like he was about 170 pounds soaking wet (MSU listed him at 200 pounds, which I think is kind of funny) and wasn’t the most physical player, although he was pesky, just didn’t have the prototypical NBA shooting guard build so he didn’t stand a chance at continuing his basketball career at the highest level.
Well, if he looked back then the way he looks now, he may have found himself on an NBA roster.
A picture surfaced on Thursday of McQuaid after a boxing workout with Detroit Pistons star Ausar Thompson and Houston Rockets star Amen Thompson, and he looks unrecognizably jacked.
what war we preparing for? let me know https://t.co/9MVxLSkUwW pic.twitter.com/HmTH1c8iif
— Sani (@Amiria22) July 30, 2026
Did this McQuaid eat the old one? I mean, he was listed as 6-foot-5 and 200 pounds (LOL) at Michigan State but he looks much, much bigger now. If he was 200 pounds at Michigan State, he’s at least 220 now with all of the added weight coming in muscular form. He’s also standing next to a 6-foot-7, 200-pound NBA player and he looks even bigger.
Also, McQuaid is working out with the Thompsons because he’s a player development coach for Amen and the Rockets.
Can we find a fifth year for this dude?
Matt McQuaid was a Spartan fan favorite from Day 1
I’m not sure that Michigan State fans truly knew what to expect from Matt McQuaid since they had been promised sharpshooting athletes in the past and they hadn’t quite delivered.
McQuaid felt different from the start. He had a huge game as a true freshman against Kansas in the Champions Classic and got better each season. He was never the team’s star player, but he played an important role, and he did it well. He played really good defense, he made clutch threes, and he was a reliable scoring option on the wing.
Although he never averaged over 10 points per game in his four-year Michigan State career, he was one of the best 3-point shooters in the Tom Izzo era, making 42.2% as a senior.
What I would give for another year of McQuaid.
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