Michigan State coach Tom Izzo releases statement on Thomas Kithier's transfer decision
Shortly after Michigan State forward Thomas Kithier announced he will enter the transfer portal, coach Tom Izzo released a statement supporting that decision.
Here’s the statement from Izzo:
“We met with Thomas and his parents a couple of times after the season was done and we both thought that pursuing other options would be mutually beneficial for us and for him,” Izzo said in a statement. “Thomas has been a selfless player who has always been willing to do whatever we asked of him, whether it was starting at times in the last two years or coming off the bench. He’s one of the brightest kids we’ve had, both on the court and in the classroom. He will earn his bachelor’s degree in three years and wants to explore options that he feels will be better for him from a basketball standpoint and for graduate school. I have a great deal of respect for him and his family and will help him in any way that I can as he explores his options.”
MSU coach Tom Izzo on Thomas Kithier entering the portal pic.twitter.com/k7RSA2Xune
— Chris Solari (@chrissolari) April 13, 2021
Kithier was mostly a reserve for the Spartans over his three-year career in East Lansing. However, he did start 14 of 26 games this past season. For his career, he averaged 9.6 minutes and 2.3 points per contest.
He was a 3-star recruit in the class of 2018. Hailing from Macomb, Michigan, Kithier was the No. 161 overall player in the class of 2018 according to 247Sports Composite rankings.
Kithier is the third Michigan State player to enter the portal this offseason, joining Jack Hoiberg and Rocket Watts.