Michigan State has a clear need in the transfer portal, and Tom Izzo seems to be holding firm on his pledge from a couple of years ago when he said he was going to get the Spartans back to deep March runs “or die trying”.
The second Aiden Sherrell hit the transfer portal, every Spartan fan was hoping that Izzo would at least reach out to see if he’d be interested in giving Michigan State another shot.
Sherrell has since become a top target for the Spartans, according to reports, and it sounds like the interest is very much mutual. A visit is expected from Sherrell, assuming he doesn’t commit to Indiana before leaving campus. If he doesn’t commit to the Hoosiers on Monday, I think the Spartans’ chances skyrocket.
There’s a brand-new transfer target who I’ve wanted Michigan State to target since he hit the portal, and I think he’s the perfect fit for what the Spartans need.
Cincinnati’s Moustapha Thiam is reportedly considering Michigan State among about a dozen programs. The Spartans are going to have to fight off programs like UConn, Duke, and Kansas, among several others, for Thiam, but he’s 247Sports’ No. 11 overall player in the portal, right behind Sherrell at No. 10.
Everyone criticized Izzo for not aiming for big-time transfers before, but now he’s very much in the mix for two of the top 11 players in the portal.
Moustapha Thiam is the perfect floor-stretching big
Thiam might seem like an unattainable transfer considering the big-time programs that are pursuing him, but he’s very much going to consider Michigan State because Izzo has a starting spot on a championship-contending team to sell him. Izzo can sell him on being the missing piece.
While Izzo has the perfect sales pitch, he wouldn’t be stretching the truth or promising something that isn’t really there like Will Wade may have done with a former Spartan.
Michigan State needs a floor-spacing big to give the Spartans an extra shooter in the starting five at a position that would give them a huge advantage. A floor-spacing big who’s athletic enough to score inside-out is exactly what Michigan State could use. He’s also 7-foot-2 so the size is ideal. He has some of the best qualities of both Jaxon Kohler and Carson Cooper.
Thiam averaged 12.8 points and 7.1 rebounds last season with Cincinnati, and he’s a capable rim protector, averaging 2.1 blocks through two collegiate seasons.
I’m not sure how good Michigan State’s chances are, but I’d like this to be kind of a 1A and 1B situation with Sherrell.
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