Defying the transfer portal trend, Michigan State’s legendary coach reveals why he still bets on high school talent despite facing constant heat from frustrated fans on social media.
It’s no secret that there are plenty of people in college sports who believe the old-school method of building a roster through recruiting talented high school players should be a thing of the past.
Over the past few years, the transfer portal has seemingly become the preferred way to build a roster. Coaches can bring in players who have already experienced college basketball, giving them an opportunity to find a bigger role, more playing time or a program that can elevate their name.
And there’s no denying that the transfer portal has worked.
Across college sports, teams have found tremendous success by bringing in players who have already competed at the collegiate level rather than relying primarily on young freshmen to immediately make an impact.
Michigan basketball, for example, thrived last season under Dusty May with a transfer-heavy roster that included Yaxel Lendeborg, Aday Mara and point guard Elliott Cadeau.
College football has seen a similar trend, with Indiana making a historic run last season after leaning heavily on experienced players and transfers.
With recent championship contenders in two of the biggest college sports relying heavily on the transfer portal, it’s easy to understand why some programs have shifted their recruiting philosophy.
But Tom Izzo hasn’t exactly followed the crowd.
Izzo Continues to Bet on High School Recruiting
While plenty of coaches have embraced the transfer portal as a primary roster-building tool, Izzo has continued to put a significant emphasis on recruiting high school players.
That philosophy has seemingly become even more important as other programs have shifted toward the portal.
Michigan State’s commitment to recruiting high school talent has helped the Spartans land a top-10 recruiting class for 2026, and Izzo has already continued that momentum by securing a commitment from top-30 prospect Antonio Pemberton.
There’s also an interesting side effect to Izzo’s approach.
With fewer programs seemingly willing to build primarily through high school recruiting, elite prospects can take notice when a blue blood like Michigan State continues to make them a priority.
Izzo has stayed committed to that philosophy despite plenty of outside noise.
And when he was asked about sticking to his guns and continuing to prioritize high school players over the transfer portal, Izzo gave an answer that could only come from Tom Izzo.
“They Stay Mad at Me”
According to Kenny Jordan of Spartan Magazine, Izzo joked:
“Well it keeps the fan base alive on Twitter (now known as X), so they stay mad at me, because I didn’t go to the portal.”
That is about as Izzo as it gets.
Rather than give some long-winded explanation about roster construction or defend his recruiting philosophy, Izzo simply leaned into the criticism and joked that Michigan State fans being upset with him on social media is part of what keeps the fan base alive.
It’s the exact type of quote Spartans fans have come to expect — and, in many cases, love — from a coach who rarely holds anything back when speaking with the media.
The debate over high school recruiting versus the transfer portal isn’t going away anytime soon.
But Izzo clearly isn’t planning on abandoning what has worked for him throughout his career just because the rest of college basketball has changed.
Everyone can talk as much as they want.
For Izzo, apparently, it’s just music to his ears.
