After up-and-down seasons, Michigan State football and Michigan basketball have had mostly down offseasons. Both programs seem to be approaching a crossroads under their respective head coaches, who not so long ago looked like A+ hires.
"If you think State's going to be bad in football, well then what is Michigan hoops this year?" says Valenti. "They are kind of parallel in this regard."
Mel Tucker and the Spartans recently lost quarterback Payton Thorne and star receiver Keon Coleman to the transfer portal and then lost TCU transfer corner Kee’yon Stewart to Arkansas. Their incoming recruiting class ranks No. 23 in the country, per 247 Sports, but next year's currently ranks No. 63. Valenti says it's been "a turbulent offseason for MSU with coaching turnover, the recruiting is not near where it was last year and it’s just weird, Tuck is kind of in a submarine. Not as visible."
"Right now, the Big Ten with Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State and soon to be USC, it’s going to be a lot harder for MSU to ever, ever, get back to that level," says Valenti.
Meanwhile, "Michigan basketball is a grease fire," he says.
"Here’s my question, whose future is rockier: Michigan hoops or Michigan State football? You could build a sunshine review for both, you could paint a death sentence for both. I don’t know the answer."
The Wolverines are coming off an 18-16 season in which they missed the Tournament for the first time in eight years, then lost Jett Howard and Kobe Bufkin to the NBA and Hunter Dickinson to Kansas. This week, they lost their top transfer addition Caleb Love due to a reported admissions issue. Their incoming recruiting class ranks No. 74 in the country.
"If you want to knock the momentum of MSU football, you’re welcome to. I see your blast on MSU football and I raise you U of M hoops. The program is in tatters," says Valenti. "You had two first-round picks and Hunter Dickinson and didn’t make the tournament. Both kids go pro, Hunter leaves for Kansas, calls you cheap on the way out the door. Your recruiting is nowhere and your marquee transfer isn’t a transfer. I have no understanding what Juwan is doing. He was brought here to recruit. Two short years ago, he had the No. 1 class in America. Now, Michigan has the markings of a 12-win baseball team. That’s absurd."
As for which coach has the rockier road moving forward, Rico says it's Tucker because he's "coming at a more expensive price tag and therefore there’s more pressure on him to justify his contract. He signed this $100 million deal and the team is losing, whereas Juwan is making pennies when it comes to being a coach. And there’s probably more eyeballs on Michigan State football than Michigan basketball."
Rico says that if Tucker can hit on a quarterback this season with Noah Kim, "he gets the pressure off his back." But "it’s easier in basketball because if Juwan can get one player, basketball is a game where that can separate you from the bottom of the Big Ten to at least middle of the pack in the Big Ten."
Valenti says if he was "going to be put an optimistic spin on" the Spartans, "it would be, "Tuck’s (recruits) are finally going to be hitting the field. That could be good or bad, but it gives you some hope. The issue for Juwan is, he was recruiting great and now he’s gone 'Rick Pitino at St. John’s mode' where it’s portal only."