After checking out in the first half of Wednesday night’s Michigan State vs. Minnesota game, concern started building for backup guard Divine Ugochukwu. He was favoring one foot and everyone was hoping it was just a shoe problem, but it sounds much more grim than that, unfortunately.
Ugchukwu apparently suffered a foot injury during the first half, and Tom Izzo didn’t exactly quell the panic among the fanbase, saying that “it doesn’t look good”.
That post-game quote immediately led to rampant speculation, but there’s word on the street spreading all over social media that Ugochukwu’s injury is much worse than we thought. The rumors are currently spreading on X, and from people he might be close to, about the injury that he suffered being season-ending.
OK, these are just rumors and claims, but when more than just a couple of people are assuming it, there’s probably fire behind all the smoke. Someone knows more than the rest of us — and they may be the ones who started this rumor that’s been picking up steam.
If Ugochukwu is out for the season, that decimates the backcourt depth, and it’s going to force Izzo’s hand when it comes to playing Trey Fort, which may not be a bad thing.
Still, this would be a huge loss because that would mean more Denham Wojcik minutes at the backup point guard spot. Not ideal.
More Trey Fort minutes incoming?
This is something that I’ve been lobbying for now for weeks. Fort may not be the best defender on the roster, but he provides a spark that no other shooting guard does offensively.
Jordan Scott has been really good lately, and he’s providing a nice offensive spark as well, but he’s more of a natural three instead of a two-guard, but he slid into the shooting guard role. Fort might be the answer at the two, and if Ugochukwu is out for an extended period of time, or the season, he needs to get adequate run. He needs to be playing 15-20 minutes per game.
I know, I get it, Izzo hates the way he’s been defending which is leading to him playing fewer than five minutes per game as of late, but he did see extended action against Minnesota, and he put up 12 points and nearly led Michigan State to an incredible comeback in the final minutes.
Fort is exactly what this recently-stagnant offense needs. More minutes for him are necessary regardless of Ugochukwu’s injury. Let’s hope the rumors aren’t true either way.