A Wishlist for MSU Basketball's Offseason

Now that Michigan State's storybook season has ended, what do we want to see happen with the roster?

Michigan State guard Jase Richardson (11) exits the court after 70-64 loss to Auburn at the Elite Eight round of NCAA tournament at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Ga. on Sunday, March 30, 2025. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Michigan State Spartans’ shot at a Final Four came to an end on Sunday evening, falling to top-seeded Auburn in the Elite Eight, 70-64. 

Tom Izzo’s team had chances to win the game, but poor shooting doomed it, and Auburn big man Johni Broome was too much for the Spartans to handle with 25 points and 14 rebounds. 

The outside shooting was ultimately MSU’s undoing, as many feared it would be in an important tilt such as this. Shooting as poorly as the Spartans did in that game had won them games in the past, but Auburn was a different kind of team. 

Now that the offseason has arrived earlier than Izzo and the Spartans expected, it’s time to go to work on next year’s roster in hopes of making another run in March. Izzo’s staff will have to attack the portal to find the right fit for his roster. 

So, what should Spartan fans want from this offseason? 

Let’s break down three things that would improve the team heading into next year. 

A Jase Richardson return - Even though Izzo has said he thinks his star freshman should test the NBA Draft waters, the Spartans would be much better if Richardson returns and gets another year under his belt. 

Richardson burst onto the scene this year despite not having high expectations, becoming the team’s most reliable scorer and go-to player in clutch moments. If he enters the draft, he is expected to be selected anywhere from the top-10 to just after the lottery. 

However, Richardson appears to love MSU, and he may want to spend one more year in East Lansing working on his game to be an even better prospect in 2026. The team would get an immediate boost from his return. 

A shooter in the portal - Shooting 7-of-23 from three-point range against Auburn was what lost the Spartans this game and cost them other games during the season. 

Izzo’s staff will likely not hit the portal incredibly hard, but finding someone who shoots it at an efficient percentage should be a priority. They thought they had that in Frankie Fidler, but he struggled from three all season. 

There are already hundreds of players in the portal, so there is bound to be one three-point specialist somewhere. The Spartans have to go find him. 

Keeping talent home - The transfer portal works both ways, and the Spartans must not let their players walk out the door. 

Teams will likely try to get certain players to leave MSU, so MSU must prevent that from happening. It must set its players up handsomely with NIL deals, or it will risk losing talent. 

MSU has not been hurt by the portal on the basketball court since its rise to popularity, but anything can happen. This MSU team has a lot of talent, and Izzo cannot let them be tempted to leave.

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