May 31st could be viewed as the most important day in the entire NCAA Basketball offseason. A number of big NBA Draft decisions were made that had an impact on what the 2023-24 season could look like. There were all-conference players, breakout candidates, and even a pair of National Players of the Year winners that announced their intentions throughout the day.
What were the biggest overall takeaways? Here’s a list to examine.
Michigan State solidifies Final Four aspirations
The Spartans already knew they were getting back both Malik Hall and Tyson Walker for another season. And that’s huge for a program that already had a top-5 incoming recruiting class and wasn’t looking to do much in the transfer portal. However, they still had to deal with a pair of key guards in AJ Hoggard and Jaden Akins, who both were in the NBA Draft process,
AJ Hoggard and Jaden Akins are back with the Spartans 😤
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) May 31, 2023
Michigan State announced that both players would be returning to East Lansing for the 2023-24 season 🔥 pic.twitter.com/aRVuo1CAxS
Hoggard averaged 12.9 ppg and 5.9 apg in his first year as a full-time starter. He had 10 points and 14 assists in a game against Nebraska and had a season-high 25 points in the NCAA Tournament against Marquette and made an All-Regional team. He and Walker will be one of the best backcourts in all of NCAA Basketball next season.
Akins was 4th on the team with 9.8 ppg and 4.0 rpg, shooting 42% from three-point range while starting 25 games. The 6’3 guard had a big stretch to end last season, including 21 points on 7/10 shooting (4/4 from deep) against Iowa.
With the roster now set, it’s clear that Michigan State will be a top-10 preseason team next year and could be the one to beat in the Big Ten. While everyone else used the portal a ton, the Spartans didn’t need to, thanks to these two decisions.