A lot of big names have found their way in the college basketball transfer portal within the last month, and a new one just ventured into those waters the last couple of days in AJ Hoggard. The former Michigan State basketball player has enjoyed plenty of success in East Lansing over the last four seasons. Since he got there, the Spartans have won 79 out of 133 games and made the NCAA Tournament every season, including a Sweet 16 appearance in 2023.
But Hoggard has gone to the portal and will be looking for a new place to call home. Fortunately for him, he will have plenty of suitors. Many top-notch programs have lost guards in the portal already and could use Hoggard to replace them. Some of those schools include Wisconsin, Arizona, and Duke.
Wisconsin Badgers
The portal has hit few programs harder than the Wisconsin Badgers, especially at the guard position. AJ Storr, the Badgers' leading scorer last season, has already left Madison for Lawrence, Kansas to join Bill Self and the Jayhawks. Chucky Hepburn has also found a new home at Louisville with new Cardinals head coach Pat Kelsey. Even Connor Essegian, a reserve guard, parted ways with Wisconsin to make the move to Nebraska.
The Badgers have huge holes in their backcourt at the moment and have done nothing to fill it yet. Wisconsin does have incoming freshman Danny Freitag coming in to shore up one of the backcourt spots, but they still need more reinforcements. Hoggard could be one. He can play both on and off the ball and provide hounding defense for whichever school brings him in.
Hoggard could stay in the Big Ten, a conference he is very familiar with, and play big minutes for a program that just made the NCAA Tournament. There are much worse destinations for him to go to. Both sides should really try to make a partnership come to fruition.
Arizona Wildcats
The Arizona Wildcats are another program that has been ravaged by the transfer portal. Arizona has already lost Kylan Boswell, Oumar Ballo, and Paulius Murauskas in the offseason. Boswell went to his hometown school in Illinois, and Ballo found his way to another Big Ten team in the Indiana Hoosiers. Murauskas, on the other hand, ventured farther to the West Coast to join Saint Mary's.
The good news for Arizona is that reinforcements are coming. The Wildcats have four of ESPN's top 100 recruits coming in, and two of them (Jamari Phillips and Joson Sanon) play in the backcourt. Arizona snagged a commitment from former Oakland forward Trey Townsend, who had a breakout 30-point, 13-rebound performance in the NCAA Tournament against NC State.
Arizona has the guards to come in and replace most of the production that Caleb Love and Boswell have left behind. But it's hard to rely solely on freshmen for an entire season. Hoggard could be a really valuable player for both Arizona coaches and those incoming freshmen to help them learn on the fly.
Duke Blue Devils
Another team that could use an experienced guard is the Duke Blue Devils. Duke was dealt a blow to their team when Jeremy Roach announced his intention to transfer. He has since wound up with the Baylor Bears.
Without him, Duke could be without a veteran guard. That would especially be problematic for next season with the plethora of freshmen the Blue Devils are bringing in. Cooper Flagg is the headliner, but Duke currently has five freshmen ranked inside ESPN's Top 100 coming to Durham next year. Losing Roach is a big deal as he's someone who can set those freshmen up and help guide them along.
Hoggard is not a player who specializes in creating for others, but he has a ton of experience. He would help those freshmen out immensely as someone who isn't afraid of big moments. He also has the game to play alongside those incoming stars. Duke should really go after him hard in the portal.
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