MSU Not Breaking the Bank in the Portal Was a Great Move

Michigan State could have spent a ton of its NIL money to find a center in the transfer portal. It didn't, and that move appears to be the right one.

Jan 9, 2025; East Lansing, Michigan, USA; Washington Huskies forward Great Osobor (1) looks for an opening past Michigan State Spartans forward Jaxon Kohler (0) during the first half at Jack Breslin Student Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Dale Young-Imagn Images / Dale Young-Imagn Images

The Michigan State Spartans we have come to know and love appear to be back. 

An 88-54 victory over the Washington Huskies at the Breslin Center brought fans everything they have grown accustomed to over Tom Izzo’s time coaching the team: Izzo yelling at players up 30-plus, walk-ons nailing jumpers in garbage time to the delight of the bench, and a feeling that this team could make another deep NCAA Tournament run. 

The Spartans’ roster construction also resembles the Izzo teams of old: tough guards, wings who can shoot, and bigs who are not afraid to rebound and defend the paint. 

Izzo built this roster without spending the team’s NIL funds in a crazy fashion. Some teams broke the bank for their top transfers, but those funds have not resulted in wins.

That includes MSU’s opponent from Thursday night – the Huskies. Danny Sprinkle landed center Great Osobor from Utah State and gave him $2 million in NIL agreements, according to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony. 

While Osobor has had a solid season, he has not delivered on those major funds. 

He had an especially poor game against MSU, scoring just six points and missing all eight shots he took from the field. He also pulled in just four rebounds, created just one assist, and committed three fouls.

Spartan center Szymon Zapala did not outscore Osobor, but he did not have to. The game was well in hand midway through the first half, so Zapala was not needed. 

Point being, many Spartan fans and Izzo critics bemoaned his inactivity and unwillingness to use the portal for a position the team desperately needed. 

But, as it turns out, the guy who has been a successful college basketball coach for 30 years knew what he was doing, even in the new landscape of college sports. 

While Zapala, Jaxon Kohler, and Carson Cooper did not have spectacular games for Izzo on Thursday night, almost everyone else did, as MSU won its eighth consecutive game. 

Izzo knew what he was doing by not recklessly spending his NIL resources. Now, he has a roster that has a chance to make a run at his ninth Final Four.

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