When Michigan State landed Harvard transfer Denham Wojcik, many Spartan fans’ expectations remained tempered. A bench player from an Ivy League program doesn’t typically scream “game-changer”, especially in a conference as difficult as the Big Ten.
In the modern era of the transfer portal, the expectation is often that every swing has to be one for the fences, but this is simply not the case.
Wojcik, the son of MSU associate head coach Doug Wojcik, isn’t headed to East Lansing to light up the scoreboard. He will provide a combination of maturity and stability at the bottom of the depth chart for a backcourt that lost two of its biggest contributors in Jaden Akins and Tre Holloman. It is unlikely that Wojcik sees the court often in a Spartan uniform, but seems more reliable than other veterans who have sat at the end of the bench for Tom Izzo.
Despite missing the 2024 season due to injury, the Charleston, S.C., native was a captain at Harvard as a junior, which is a rarity for a non-starter. His numbers won’t wow you -- 1.8 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game in three seasons for the Crimson are far from eye-popping -- but he averaged over 15 minutes per game twice in Cambridge, so he possesses at least some big-game experience.
From Steven Izzo to Davis Smith and Nick Sanders, Izzo is big on familiarity at the end of the bench, often looking for players who fit MSU’s culture while embracing their roles. Wojcik fits that mold, but with a more experienced résumé and a bit more utility on the court if called upon.
Akins was one of the most vocal leaders in Michigan State’s locker room a season ago, and it was Holloman who stood up for tradition on Senior Day against Michigan. While Wojcik is unlikely to replicate their in-game production, he can ensure MSU’s identity remains intact and provide quiet leadership in typical Spartan fashion.