Although Tom Izzo fed Michigan State fans “none or less” when he was asked about the chances of a Divine Ugochukwu return for the Sweet 16 or a potential Elite Eight, he didn’t rule out a Final Four return.
If Michigan State is able to get through this weekend with wins over UConn and either Duke or St. John’s, Izzo will have a big decision to make regarding his sophomore guard.
When Ugochukwu was injured against Minnesota, he was immediately ruled out for the remainder of the season, but every time we see the Miami transfer, he looks healthier and healthier. He was warming up with the Spartans before the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament and he told the media that there’s a “small chance” that he could return at some point.
Izzo did shoot down a second-weekend return, but if Thursday was any indication, Ugochukwu is trying to return if Michigan State does advance to the Final Four.
Divine Ugochukwu going through a few live running drills during MSU’s practice right now at Capital One Arena but not all of them. Denham Wojcik without any tape on his shoulder as well.
— Chris Solari (@chrissolari) March 26, 2026
Ugochukwu was seen jogging around and getting shots to without a walking boot during warmups last week, and now he’s going through running drills. While he didn’t go through all of them, it’s encouraging to hear that he’s healthy enough to run which means he’s inching closer to getting back on the floor.
I don’t think that Izzo is going to let him come back next week if Michigan State advances, however.
Michigan State could definitely use Divine Ugochukwu
While Chris Solari did report that Denham Wojcik didn’t have tape on his shoulder, insinuating that he’s healthy enough to go without it, he does have a torn labrum, so his injury isn’t going away. Wojcik wasn’t going to make a huge difference for the Spartans, injured or not, but if Ugochukwu returned, that Denham injury wouldn’t have any effect on Michigan State.
Having Ugochukwu as the main backup point guard would be an ideal scenario, especially if Michigan State is able to make the Final Four.
I truly believe that if Michigan State advances to the Final Four, Ugochukwu’s return could very well give this team the boost it needs to chase Izzo’s second title.