Michigan State point guard Hoggard enters transfer portal
It’s official: A.J. Hoggard is looking for a new home. Be it at another college or in professional basketball.
The Michigan State senior point guard officially entered the NCAA transfer portal Friday with one season of eligibility remaining, a program spokesman confirmed.
MSU coach Tom Izzo last week on WVFNAM (730 in Lansing) said Hoggard “could go back to college but it wouldn’t be” with the Spartans. The 6-foot-4, 210-pound native of Coatesville, Pennsylvania, participated in the four-day Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, an pre-NBA draft scouting event, that ran from April 17 through Saturday. His Jani-King squad won all three games in the event, with Hoggard averaging 11 points in 24.3 minutes. He went 10-for-19 overall and 3-for-8 from 3-poing range in the three games, adding six assists, two steals and a block. However, Hoggard also committed 10 turnovers.
Though he submitted his name to the portal — the NCAA granted a blanked extra year of eligibility for his freshman season in 2020-21 — Hoggard could explore professional options. He turns 24 on Sept. 25 and was scheduled to graduate Friday night from MSU.
“I think he would like to get into pro ball,” Izzo said. “Whether that be Europe, whether that be the G League. But nowadays, everybody will look at college, too, depending on offers from different places.”
In four seasons with the Spartans, Hoggard averaged 8.5 points, 4.6 rebounds and 4.6 assists with 81 starts in 128 career games. He shot 41% overall, 29.9% from 3-point range and 74.9% at the free-throw line.
Hoggard tested the NBA draft process after last season but decided to return to the Spartans. This year’s early entry deadline for the NBA draft is Saturday. The NCAA’s deadline to withdraw from the NBA draft process and return to school for the 2024-25 season is 10 days after the end of the pre-draft scouting combine, which is scheduled for May 13-19 in Chicago.
Hoggard’s classmate, senior forward Mady Sissoko, also entered the transfer portal for his extra year of eligibility. The Spartans added transfer wing Frankie Fidler from Nebraska-Omaha on Tuesday and have one open scholarship (the NCAA limit is 13) for the upcoming season.
MSU appears set at point guard for next season with Jeremy Fears Jr. back as a sophomore, Tre Holloman returning as a junior and Jase Richardson arriving as an incoming freshman this summer.
Hoggard averaged 10.7 points, 3.1 rebounds and 5.2 assists over 28.7 minutes this winter as the Spartans finished 20-15. He made 40.7% of his shots overall, 34.7% of his 3-point tries and 78.7% of his free-throw attempts. He also averaged 1.4 steals with 1.8 turnovers, and MSU was a plus-162 in scoring with him on the floor.
As a junior in leading MSU to the Sweet 16 in 2022-23 — the only time the Spartans made it out of the first weekend of the NCAA tournament in Hoggard’s four seasons – he posted 12.9 points, 3.7 rebounds and 5.9 assists. In 131 career games for MSU, Hoggard averaged 8.6 points, 4.6 assists and 2.8 rebounds
while shooting 41% overall and just 30.3% from 3-point range. He was a thirdteam All-Big Ten selection by the media and an honorable mention by the coaches that season.
Along with Hoggard, graduated senior Tyson Walker also participated in last week’s Portsmouth Invitational Tournament. The 6-1 combo guard averaged 7 points in 27.7 minutes in helping his Norfolk Sports Club team go 2-1. Walker went 8-for-21 overall and 4for-9 from 3-point range, adding 13 assists, seven rebounds, three steals and three blocks while committing just two turnovers in his 83 minutes.
WR Antonio Gates Jr. withdraws from transfer portal
Antonio Gates Jr. had a frantic finish to his spring semester.
Less than a week after Michigan State football’s final spring practice and not even five days after he entered the portal, the wide receiver and son of former NFL star Antonio Gates Sr. has withdrawn his name from transfer considerations to return to the Spartans, a team spokesman confirmed late Friday afternoon.
The younger Gates entered the transfer
portal Monday. The third-year sophomore went through drills but did not participate in scrimmage activity in last Saturday’s final MSU spring practice that was open to the public.
The 2022 four-star prospect and Free Press Dream Team selection out of Dearborn Fordson played in all 12 games last season, predominantly on special teams, and finished with five receptions for 82 yards and one touchdown. He has three years of eligibility remaining.
“Antonio Gates, he’s been making a lot of plays. He’s a workaholic,” fellow MSU wide receiver Alante Brown said of Gates on April 11. “And his history, his background with his father, I believe his mindset’s of, ‘He’s him.’ He’s trying to make a name for himself, not just being under his father’s wing. So he’s definitely a workaholic. He’s been doing some good things from release, his route running and deep balls.”
With Gates’ withdrawal from the portal, 13 other Spartans are currently exploring transfer possibilities. Tuesday is the deadline to enter the portal for undergraduates.