Tom Izzo and the Michigan State Spartans will likely lose a second player prior to the 2021-22 season. Sophomore guard Rocket Watts has entered the transfer portal, The Spun has confirmed, and will look for opportunities outside of East Lansing.
Watts came to Michigan State as a four-star recruit and a top-50 prospect in the country. He quickly found his way onto the court in his freshman season, making 16 starts in 27 appearances.
During this past season, Watts had his fair share of struggles. He ended the year averaging 7.7 points per game, shooting 33.6 percent from the floor and just over 25 percent from beyond the arc. He started in 15 of Michigan State’s 28 games.
Watts, a Detroit native, will have three years of eligibility remaining at his future destination. Given his raw talent and Big Ten experience, he could prove to be a valuable addition for programs perusing the portal this offseason.
Michigan State guard Rocket Watts and Kansas wing Tyon Grant-Foster are in the NCAA transfer portal, per sources.
— Matt Hladik (@MattHladik919) March 29, 2021
Michigan State guard Rocket Watts is in the transfer portal, likely ending his two-year career with the Spartans
— Kyle Austin (@kylebaustin) March 29, 2021
Watts becomes the second Spartan to enter the transfer portal this spring, joining fellow guard Jack Hoiberg. The former Michigan State walk-on played under a scholarship for the first time during the 2020-21 season, but will pursue another chance elsewhere.
Hoiberg and Watts will leave the Spartans after one of the worst seasons in the Izzo-era. The Big Ten powerhouse went 15-13 and barely eked into the NCAA Tournament before losing to UCLA in the First Four.
However, both guards would’ve faced stiff competition from a talented group of guards arriving in East Lansing next year. Five-star Max Christie and four-stars Jaden Akins and Pierre Brooks II will join Izzo at Michigan State next fall. Alongside Northeastern transfer Tyson Walker, the backcourt group may be able to help the Spartans back to the top of the Big Ten.
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