Why Divine Ugochukwu's Breakout Game is Huge for Michigan State
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There probably isn't a more important member of 11th-ranked Michigan State's bench than sophomore guard Divine Ugochukwu. It's not necessarily because of the player that he is, but because of the player who likely isn't playing while he's playing.
That player is Jeremy Fears Jr., who has dished out 61 assists in MSU's six games this season to only 13 turnovers. His nine assists during the Spartans' rout of East Carolina on Tuesday actually tied his lowest total of the season.
Fears is one of the best, if not the best, facilitators in the country, and he's also an elite defender. But Tom Izzo, as much as he may wish he could, cannot play him 40 minutes a game. When Fears is out, his void almost always has to be filled by Ugochukwu at the point guard spot.
Ugochukwu took a big step towards doing that on Tuesday. If there can continue to be no drop-off once Fears leaves the court, that will lead to a lot of wins for MSU.
Ugochukwu's Game against East Carolina
During a game where it felt like every Spartan played pretty well, Ugochukwu was one of the best. Despite only scoring 11 points across MSU's first five games of the season --- an average of 2.2 per game --- he scored 16 on Tuesday against East Carolina. That established a new career-high for him between last season at Miami (FL) and his first handful of games with Michigan State.
"I've been starting the season pretty slow, I think, for my expectations," Ugochukwu said after the game. "So I think that was just... it kind of just exploded for me right there."
The first initial test for Ugochukwu during the game was when he re-entered the game with five minutes to go in the first half after Fears picked up his second foul.
MSU had already built up some momentum with Fears on the court, leading by 15, but Ugochukwu helped keep that momentum up. During those five minutes, Michigan State outscored East Carolina 15-7, with Ugochukwu scoring five of his points and getting a steal in the stretch before halftime.
He actually had a better plus/minus than Fears across the entire game, despite playing fewer minutes. Fears' numbers were still great, plus-17 in 24 minutes, but Ugochukwu was plus-20 in only 16 minutes.
"Shout out to Divine for stepping up and leading the team when Fears kind of got in [foul] trouble early," senior forward Jaxon Kohler said. "It's not an easy job, being a point guard for Michigan State with Tom Izzo; it's not an easy job. I think people don't understand that."
If Ugochukwu is able to provide those types of minutes on a more consistent basis, it would be a huge development for the Spartans.
His 3-for-4 day from three-point range is a great sign in his development in that shot. Ugochukwu had previously never hit multiple threes in a game during his college career and was 1-for-9 to start this season with MSU. Fears is 7-for-16 (43.8%) so far. Ugochukwu was also 3-for-3 on shots inside the arc against ECU after entering just 3-for-9 on the season.
The ability to facilitate isn't really on Fears' level, but whose is? Ugochukwu still had two assists to one turnover, which is still a ratio to be cool with.
Where Ugochukwu also stands out is as a defender. It was the side of the court he was better on as a freshman at Miami, and it's the side he's been better at thus far with Michigan State, too. His wingspan is reportedly 6-feet-8, despite his height being listed at 6-foot-3 on MSU's roster. That allows him to take up more space, especially as an on-ball defender who might try to reach out and deflect some passes.
Ugochukwu ended up recording two steals during the game against East Carolina. He only had one over the Spartans' first five games. It's tough to gauge what immediately spurred this performance for Ugochukwu, but if he's a superstitious man, he might be wise to eat the same pregame meal he had on Tuesday on Thursday before the North Carolina game and pass on the Thanksgiving turkey.
"That was definitely Divine's best game offensively and defensively, and he's just got to keep working," Izzo said.
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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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