MSU coach Tom Izzo: 'We're stupid' if we don't curb NCAA transfer epidemic
Michigan State coach Tom Izzo said Wednesday that the NCAA would be stupid not to curb the volume of players transferring between programs and labeled the increasing number of transfer players "a shame," according to the Detroit Free Press.
"If we don't do something in the NCAA, we're stupid, to use a bad word," Izzo told the Free Press at a Coaches vs. Cancer event in Michigan on Monday.
"That's how, I think if you ask any one of these guys, I don't know who would say it publicly, but it's just getting to be a shame. Are we teaching kids anything to fight through? But because of that, you're always recruiting. And we may fill the spot, we may not."
This college basketball offseason has seen an estimated 650 players transferring within Division I, according to an estimate by ESPN's Jeff Goodman. That's an average of nearly two per team.
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Izzo's comments come while Michigan State is in the mix for former Providence big man Paschal Chukwu. Bryn Forbes, a former Cleveland State guard, transferred to Michigan State in 2014 and was a key contributor to the Spartans' final four team last season, averaging 8.5 points per game.
Former West Virginia player Eron Harris, who also transferred to Michigan State last year, is expected to play a strong role on next season's Spartans' squad, as well.
Check out video of Izzo joking with Kentucky coach John Calipari just prior to making his comments on transfers, courtesy of the Detroit Free Press.
