Michigan State basketball center Mady Sissoko enters transfer portal

After four seasons at Michigan State, center Mady Sissoko has decided to explore other options for his final year of eligibility.

Sissoko entered the transfer portal this week, a team spokesperson confirmed Thursday afternoon. 

Sissoko saw his minutes decrease during his up-and-down senior season, though he remained the team’s regular starting No. 5. The 6-foot-9, 250-pound center from Mali in Africa, started in 26 of the Spartans’ 35 games this past season. He was the team’s second-best rebounder, averaging 5.1 boards per game. He also averaged 3.3 points, down from a season ago when he posted 5.1 per game. 

Michigan State’s center rotation was an area of concern this past season as the Spartans used a “center-by-committee” approach, with Sissoko, Carson Cooper and Jaxon Kohler taking turns at the five. Sissoko took a step back, and Cooper and Kohler didn’t make the sophomore leaps the coaching staff hoped they would. Kohler also missed the first few months of the season rehabbing from an October foot surgery. 

Sissoko is the first known Michigan State player to enter the portal — which opened March 18, the day after Selection Sunday — since the Spartans bowed out of the NCAA Tournament in the second round against North Carolina last month. 

Michigan State, which finished 20-15 overall and sixth in the Big Ten, will lose Tyson Walker and Malik Hall to graduation. A.J. Hoggard also has a year of eligibility remaining because of the pandemic, but isn’t expected to return. 

If Hoggard does indeed leave along with Sissoko, Michigan State will have two scholarship spots available. 

Players have until May 1 to take advantage of this current transfer portal window. 

mkenney@detroitnews.com

@madkenney