NCAA Basketball: 5 biggest losers of the 2022 offseason (so far)

Michigan State Spartans

The Michigan State Spartans slid on to this list after Max Christie confirmed his departure for the NBA Draft. Tom Izzo will have to look elsewhere to fill a major scoring gap on next year’s team.

Reporting seemed to suggest Christie would likely stay at school as he let the draft process play out. But while he weighed his decision, Izzo largely stood pat, drawing the ire of some fans once Christie eventually left without a suitable substitute in place.

The Christie situation was troubling, but it wasn’t the only knock on the program’s offseason. Gabe Brown and Marcus Bingham Jr. also left for the draft and Julius Marble transferred to Texas A&M, leaving the program without many of last year’s top scorers.

Associate head coach Dwayne Stephens also departed to take the head job at Western Michigan. Despite that move coming a month and a half ago, Stephens ostensibly hasn’t been replaced on the staff yet.

A lack of replacements is a running theme for the Spartans this spring. Michigan State didn’t hit on any big targets in the transfer portal and only recently grabbed recruit Carson Cooper, who may end up redshirting if the Spartans have enough bodies to allow it.

Michigan State might be okay with the likes of Tyson Walker and Joey Hauser back in the fold. But many Spartans fans will bemoan what could’ve been this spring with a little more work on the transfer trail.