Tom Izzo used the term “quarterback controversy” to describe Michigan State’s two-guard position after the Duke loss a couple of weeks ago, and it fit perfectly.
Michigan State had been cycling different players to start at the shooting guard spot through the first month and a half of the season, but it doesn’t look like the answer is obvious yet.
Izzo thought he may have had a breakthrough against Penn State, inserting Divine Ugochukwu into the starting lineup as the two-guard. It was the first time he started at Michigan State, and it was also a new position for him as he had spent the first part of the season as Jeremy Fears Jr.’s backup.
Ugochukwu responded with a career-high 23 points on 5-of-5 shooting from deep, leading Michigan State past a pesky Penn State team on the road. He played the role of hero. It looked like Izzo had really found something with Ugochukwu starting at the two and Denham Wojcik sliding into the backup point guard role.
Nothing is ever that easy.
While Ugochukwu played really well against Penn State, he disappeared against Toledo in the following game as the starting shooting guard. He’ll likely stay there to get a fair shot, but the controversy continues into Christmas break.
Where do things stand with Michigan State’s ‘QB controversy’?
Right now, it feels like Ugochukwu is in the lead, but fans have been somewhat against this idea because that means the backup point guard is in a very unproven guard’s hands. Does a national title contender really rely on Wojcik to play 10-15 minutes per game? That doesn’t seem right.
Ugochukwu may have a slight lead, but Kur Teng is making a push.
Over the last two games, Teng has 22 points and has made 6-of-7 threes. He’s gaining confidence and is holding his own on the defensive end. Teng’s growth has been obvious, and he’s starting to look like a starting-caliber two-guard which would reduce Wojcik’s minutes to where they should be and allow Ugochukwu to move back to the backup point guard role.
Trey Fort is, for some reason, in Izzo’s doghouse as he’s the one player the Hall of Fame head coach has chosen to be extra tough on this season. He hasn’t played more than 10 minutes since the Iowa game and he hasn’t score more than three points since the East Carolina game. Until he finds his confidence again and Izzo starts to trust him more, I don’t see him being the answer — that can obviously change.
Lastly, a player that doesn’t get talked about enough for this spot is Jordan Scott. He brings the energy and he’s always making the right plays. If he can improve that 3-point shooting, I think he’d be a perfect fit at the two-guard spot, but he may be a year away from starting.
In this order, I think the best option is Teng, followed by Ugochukwu, then Fort, and then Scott. I think this gives Michigan State’s lineups the most versatility and there’s not a huge drop-off at the one.
We’ll see what Izzo decides heading into the new year.