Michigan State basketball: Mady Sissoko enters the transfer portal

One of the biggest questions surrounding the Michigan State basketball program was just answered Thursday afternoon. Who’s going to leave the program and who’s going to stay for one more season. That’s the question both Mady Sissoko and AJ Hoggard have to answer as they could both return for a fifth season by using their extra COVID year.

The first to make that decision was Sissoko who entered his name in the transfer portal on Thursday.

Sissoko is coming off his fourth year in East Lansing and experienced a lot of ups and downs. This season, he averaged 3.3 points and 5.1 rebounds per game. His best game by far came in the second game of the season against Southern Indiana when he posted his only double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds.

The senior center, however, left a lot to be desired during his MSU career, especially on offense. He has always been a solid defender and rebounder the last few seasons, but his offensive game never really developed. He did show glimpses of an improved offense two years ago when he opened the season with 14 and 16 points against Gonzaga and Kentucky, respectively. He was never able to replicate that production and was very inconsistent on offense. This is what caused Mady to lose playing time, especially late in this season.

I’ll never be excited to see anyone leave, but I do think this decision is beneficial for both parties. Mady will be able to get a fresh start somewhere else where he’ll maybe get more playing time and excel. And now MSU has a better chance to get a post player out of the portal because they have more playing to offer.

Regardless, I wish Mady the absolute best and I know we’ll all be cheering him on next season wherever he ends up.