Should Michigan State basketball have kept Mady Sissoko?

In case you missed it, Michigan State basketball picked up a transfer commitment from center Szymon Zapala from Longwood. I think every MSU fan wanted to see Tom Izzo get a center from the portal, but this commitment left me, along with many others, feeling a little underwhelmed.

Instead of getting the star center that could have been the starter next year from the portal, Izzo and his staff chose to get someone who likely will be third-string.

So it begs the question to be asked, should Michigan State have just kept Mady Sissoko instead?

Sissoko spent four seasons at Michigan State before entering the transfer portal this offseason to head to Cal. After four years in East Lansing, we all know the type of player that Sissoko is. He is someone who has a high motor, who is a very solid defender but struggles on the offensive end of the floor.

I won't sit here and tell you that Sissoko would be the answer for the team next year, but he may have been a better option than Zapala. Similarly to Zapala, Sissoko would have one season left, and he would have the advantage of already knowing the schemes MSU runs and how to play with each person on the team. Mady is also a proven force on defense, and I'm not sure if the same can be said about Zapala.

In fact, I have no idea what we will be getting from Zapala. He had a solid offensive year last season averaging about nine points per game, but that was in a terrible conference. Zapala never even averaged two points per game in his three years at Utah State which is part of the Mountain West, a conference a lot closer to the Big Ten but still a step below.

So with all the unknowns surrounding Zapala and Izzo clearly never looking to get an elite center from the transfer portal, why not just stick with what you already know? Maybe rolling the dice with someone like Zapala who had a good season last year isn't the worst idea. There is definitely a chance he is better than Sissoko. But I think there is an equal chance he ends up being worse than Sissoko.

So personally, I might've chosen to ride with Sissoko one more season, but at the same time I do see why it makes sense to take a chance on someone new when you know Mady for sure isn't the answer.

I hope I am proven wrong and Zapala turns into a beast next season, but I am struggling to see the light at the end of the tunnel.