It was reported just a few hours ago by Jon Rothstein that grad transfer Kerry Blackshear Jr. will be transferring to Florida from Virginia Tech. This singular move should lock Michigan State in as the preseason #1 and favorite to win the NCAA championship.
It is funny and ironic that this move has such an impact on MSU’s ranking since Blackshear was a target for Michigan State for most of the offseason until they landed the transfer of Joey Hauser from Marquette.
Blackshear, a dominant power forward during his time at Virginia Tech, was arguably the most highly sought after transfer prospect this offseason, being recruited by practically every major program in the country.
Of course, Michigan State bowed out of the race for Blackshear after the Hauser commitment. If Blackshear had gone to Kentucky, the Wildcats likely would have become the #1 team in the country heading into the season. Now with Blackshear heading to Florida, Michigan State will almost certainly head into the season as the consensus #1 team in the league for the first time ever.
