Pros and cons of AJ Hoggard, Mady Sissoko returning next season

Originally posted on Spartan Shadows | By Daily MSU | Last updated 3/24/24

AJ Hoggard and Mady Sissoko have the option to return next season but would this be the best option for both sides?

The Michigan State basketball season has sadly come to an end, leaving a lot of question marks about the future. One big question that’s already been answered is that Xavier Booker will be back next season, but there are two other Spartans to keep an eye on: AJ Hoggard and Mady Sissoko.

Both Hoggard and Sissoko just finished their senior seasons, but they do have the option to return for one more season by using their extra COVID year. Both Spartans were asked about this after their loss to North Carolina, and here’s what they had to say.

AJ Hoggard and Mady Sissoko’s potential for a return

When talking about whether they will return for a fifth season next year, both AJ and Mady said they still haven’t made a decision yet.

Both A.J. Hoggard and Mady Sissoko say they’re undecided on their fifth year of eligibility

— Chris Solari (@chrissolari) March 24, 2024

Both players did participate in the senior night festivities this year, but that doesn’t mean they won’t come back. Malik Hall did his senior night last season and came back, so this isn’t an indication of what Hoggard or Sissoko could do.

Pros and cons

There are pros and cons to each returning, with the biggest pro being the experience they’d bring back. Experience can mean a lot in college basketball, and next year they’d have more experience than most in the country.

Just because you have experience though doesn’t mean you’ll automatically be a great player, and that’s the biggest con for them returning. Hoggard has his moments of greatness, but he has too many games where he’s nonexistent. Take the loss against UNC, for example, he only scored three points in the biggest game of the season. That’s unacceptable.

Then you have Mady Sissoko who has already shown the best that he can be. He can be an elite rebounder, but he is not someone you can rely on for some offense. So his return in my opinion likely wouldn’t help the team much.

But that’s for them, and maybe even Tom Izzo to decide. Both players also have the option to transfer, which wouldn’t surprise me either. We likely will find out more information soon, but for the time being, they are both uncertain about their futures.

This article first appeared on Spartan Shadows and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: