If you were on social media on Tuesday evening, you probably saw some major overreactions from Michigan State basketball fans shortly after missing on Darius Adams.
I, too, had some harsh thoughts, but they were more aimed at the young recruit's decision rather than Tom Izzo's miss. This felt more like a situation in which Adams wanted to be guaranteed a starting spot than anything NIL related. How else do you choose Buzz Williams over Izzo? It doesn't make sense other than that.
This had the same kind of feel as Romeo Weems choosing DePaul over Michigan State because he liked the Blue Demons' ability to get guys to the NBA (that wasn't true). Adams chose a head coach in Williams who hasn't had a guy drafted since 2019 over one who turned a four-star recruit into a lottery pick this past season at his exact position. Make that make sense.
Adams chose Maryland because he was likely told that he would be in the starting lineup and Izzo would never guarantee that to anyone without working for it.
And that's OK. Elite recruits like the idea of starting right when they get to college and Adams will likely have that luxury. He would have played big minutes for a contender and reigning Big Ten champ at Michigan State but he chose to take the other route with a head coach in his first year at a new program.
Some Michigan State fans have been melting down about the decision, saying that Izzo lost his fastball (he hasn't) and that the 2025-26 season is going to be a nightmare (it's not).
Because a recruit who no one thought would be back on the market three weeks ago decided to reopen his recruitment and didn't pick Michigan State, these fans are dubbing the offseason a failure and I've even seen the phrase "D- offseason" thrown around. That's just wild.
Izzo went out and landed two impact transfers and he's bringing in two really solid 2025 recruits. He's going to add to the roster at least one more time and yet some fans have turned on him.
This man just won the Big Ten title by three games and returns a roster with guys like Jeremy Fears Jr., Coen Carr, and Jaxon Kohler while bringing in four solid players in the 2025 class and the transfer portal and we're about to call him washed up? Did we forget that he lost Tyson Walker, Malik Hall, and AJ Hoggard last offseason and only got better?
The sky isn't falling, folks. Izzo knows what he's doing and he has a backup plan. He didn't go into the offseason expecting Adams to decommit from UConn. There are other options in play.