The 3 Transfer Portal Options MSU Cannot Ignore if Fears Departs
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Michigan State needs a plan for the event that Jeremy Fears Jr. doesn't come back.
The Spartans' point guard has until next Wednesday, May 27, to decide to come back to MSU or remain in the NBA Draft. Most have been expecting Fears to return, but some cryptic social media activity from Fears and his father has worried some fans about his eventual decision.
There would be no sugarcoating it if Fears goes: it would potentially destroy hopes of becoming a Final Four or a national title contender before the summer even really begins. It would also mean that Michigan State would only have one real ball-handler on the roster: true freshman Carlos Medlock Jr.
That means MSU would probably have to grab somebody late from the transfer portal to be Medlock's backup. Options in the portal in late May are... limited, to put it nicely. Either way, these three names are worth knowing in case of emergency:
Mihailo Petrovic (Illinois)
One name from the Big Ten still left is Illinois transfer Mihailo Petrovic. He's had an interesting path to the college game. Petrovic is from Serbia and played professionally there for a few seasons prior to joining the Fighting Illini last season. Come March Madness in 2027, Petrovic will be classified as a 24-year-old junior.
Petrovic, standing at 6'2" and 180 pounds, only scarcely played for Illinois last season, though. He appeared in 19 games during the 2025-26 season, averaging just 5.7 minutes per appearance with 1.6 points and 1.1 assists.
Tom Izzo and Illinois' Brad Underwood have a pretty positive relationship, possibly because both seem to share some similar coaching philosophies. Their teams play and get built in different ways, but the similar, fiery personalities of two of the Big Ten's better coaches could make this a fit.
Petrovic would also want to jump at the opportunity, one would assume. There would be regular playing time for him in a non-Fears rotation next season. Honestly, I wouldn't mind if Izzo pushed for Petrovic as a third point guard right now; MSU has an open roster spot available, whether Fears is back or not.
Tijan Saine Jr. (Weber State)
Weber State guard Tijan Saine Jr. is entering the transfer portal, per Ricardo Hill of Thrill Sports.
— Dushawn London (@DushawnLondon1) March 30, 2026
He averaged 17.5 points, 4.3 assists, 2.3 rebounds and and 1.1 steals per game pic.twitter.com/6W0h213HjD
The top name available, according to On3's rankings, is Weber State transfer Tijan Saine Jr. He's the only available point guard ranked in the overall top 200, currently slotted in at 79th among all entrants and 16th among point guards.
Saine actually has spent most of his college career at the Division II level, playing for Western Washington. He transferred up to Weber State last season and immediately thrived. He averaged 17.5 points and 4.3 assists per game, which is now possibly opening the door for another upward move to a high-major school.
Tijan Saine (@TijanSaine) updates his recruitment for TPR:
— The Portal Report (@ThePortalReport) April 12, 2026
Washington (Call)
Kansas State
Georgetown
Georgia Tech
Seton Hall (Call)
UCLA
Cal
Oregon State (Call)
High Point (Zoom)
Duquesne (Zoom)
USF
Recruitment is wide open! pic.twitter.com/63HhdltnUS
Saine ended up becoming a first-team All-Big Sky honoree, and he also led the conference in scoring during Big Sky competition. He also led his team in assists, which is something Izzo will be pleased with.
It's definitely a bit surprising that Saine is available this late in the process. He's definitely one of the only people available who I think would really challenge Medlock for that starting spot in this scenario.
Daeshun Ruffin (Jackson State)
Last season's SWAC Player of the Year is also still out there. Daeshun Ruffin began his career at Ole Miss for two years, sat out a year, and then played two years at Jackson State. Ruffin, a former McDonald's All-American, would need a waiver to be eligible again.
However, he may have a decent case after appearing in only 11 games during his sophomore season at Ole Miss before stepping away from the team to focus on his mental health. He then missed the entire following season due to a torn ACL.
Ruffin actually was fifth in the country at 23.3 points per game last season, although competition in the SWAC is definitely a bit on the weaker side. Jackson State did play seven non-conference games against high-major programs last season.
Excluding an eight-minute day against Arkansas that was followed by a DNP in the next game, Ruffin averaged 16.5 points per game in those contests. Passing is also a big part of Ruffin's game. He averaged 5.3 assists per game last season, which ranked second in the SWAC.
Again, weaker competition, but the pretty high numbers seem high enough to imagine Ruffin filling in fine as somebody Michigan State can tie itself to for one season in this hypothetical situation that would put the program in a very tight squeeze.
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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.
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