The Ripple Effect of MSU's Divine Ugochukwu Playing the Two
In this story:
This decision is going to have some real impact.
Michigan State and Tom Izzo decided on Saturday to start sophomore Divine Ugochukwu at the two against Penn State. The Spartans had had Ugochukwu play there next to point guard Jeremy Fears Jr. before, but Ugochukwu's main role was to back up Fears at the one, and he hadn't started a game until Saturday.
It ended up potentially being the difference between a win and a loss. MSU had been looking for somebody at the two spot to hit some threes, and Ugochukwu ended up going 5-for-5. He ended up scoring a career-high 23 points, hitting two clutch free throws to seal the Spartans' victory at the end as well.
There's a good chance Michigan State is going to keep Ugochukwu there for the time being; Ugochukwu has at least earned the opportunity for some more time as a starter. If this move were to be longer than temporary, it would have a few effects on the Spartans' lineups, which were already visible in the 76-72 win over the Nittany Lions.
Bigger Role for Denham Wojcik
If Ugochukwu's main role goes from backup point guard to starting shooting guard, that means that Harvard transfer Denham Wojcik becomes the primary ball handler whenever Fears and Ugochukwu are off the court. Wojcik is the son of associate head coach Doug Wojcik.
Denham Wojcik ended up playing six minutes during Saturday's game. He definitely struggled, committing three turnovers (with two assists). Wojcik's plus/minus was even at halftime, but the Spartans were outscored 7-0 during a 1:16 stretch with him on the court during the second half.
That's the trickiest part of Ugochukwu starting. It's difficult to have at least one of him and Fears in the game at all times. The Big Ten is going to be a lot of somebody who was a rotational player at an Ivy League school.
If Ugochukwu playing the two ends up being Michigan State's solution, that means Wojcik playing is going to have to become a regular thing.
MSU might have the chance to give him some more opportunities to play against Toledo, Oakland, and Cornell, but there has to be some evaluation of whether Wojcik can reliably keep the Spartans above water against Big Ten teams following New Year's.
Reduced Roles for Fort, Teng
The move would also mean fewer minutes for Kur Teng and Trey Fort, who were the two players who had been competing to cement themselves as the starting two-guard. Neither had been playing well enough to earn it, which is why Ugochukwu received a look.
Teng ended up playing 12 minutes on Saturday. That's the third-lowest amount of playing time he's received this year, though that may be where Teng sits around now, since he played 11 minutes against Duke.
Fort's drop in playing time has been much more dramatic. He had been removed from the starting lineup against Iowa, where he went 13 minutes without any points, rebounds, assists, blocks, or steals. From there, he's only gotten eight minutes in the Duke game, and now just four against Penn State.
The lack of three-point shooting has been the disappointing part. Fort shot 38.2% from deep last year at Samford, but is just making 28.6% of his threes this year at MSU.
Keep up with all our content when you follow the official Spartan Nation page on Facebook, Spartan Nation, WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE, and be sure to share your thoughts on Divine Ugochukwu when you join our community group, Go Green Go White, WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE. Don't forget to give us a follow on X @MSUSpartansOnSI as well.
Never again miss one major story related to your beloved Spartans when you sign up for our 100% FREE newsletter that comes straight to your email with the latest news. SIGN UP HERE NOW
A 2025 graduate from Michigan State University, Cotsonika brings a wealth of experience covering the Spartans from Rivals and On3 to his role as Michigan State Spartans Beat Writer on SI. At Michigan State, he was also a member of the world-renowned Spartan marching band for two seasons.
Follow jacobcotsonika