Former Michigan State guard Rocket Watts transferring to Oakland

Former Michigan State Spartans guard Rocket Watts announced over the weekend he will be transferring to the Oakland University Grizzlies next season. The Detroit native spent two seasons with the Spartans before leaving to play last season in Starkville down south at Mississippi State University.

Watts arrived at Michigan State as a freshman with high expectations for his shooting talents. However, he took a while to find his comfort zone before finishing strong with a 16-point performance at Wisconsin and a 21-point outing in a win at Illinois. Watts finished the season with four straight games in double figures, averaging 17.7 points per game as the Spartans finished the season on a five game win streak that shared a piece of the Big Ten title for a third-straight time for MSU.

As a sophomore, Watts was tasked with moving from shooting guard to point guard. The move proved disastrous for both Watts and Michigan State. Watts managed to score in double figures in four of the first five games of the season but quickly lost his footing as a shooter being tasked with playing out of position. He would manage double figures in just three games the rest of the season while going 5-for-17 from the field in two postseason games.

Following the unfortunate sophomore season, Watts announced his transfer to the other MSU, Mississippi State. While with the Bulldogs, he saw action in 19 games, earning just one start. Watts averaged 4.4 ppg over an average of 13.4 mpg and hit double figures in scoring just three times, including against Texas Tech and South Carolina.

Watts will need a waiver from the NCAA to play immediately for Oakland, but will have two years of eligibility remaining. Oakland faces Michigan State in East Lansing on Dec. 21 next season. The Grizzlies went 20-12 last season, including 12-7 in the Horizon League, and lost in the conference tournament quarterfinals.