EAST LANSING, Mich. – Michigan State added its second transfer of the offseason when former Samford shooting guard Trey Fort committed to the Spartans on Friday.
The Spartans added former Florida Atlantic forward Kaleb Glenn from the portal on April 10.
Fort (6-4, 200) visited Michigan State on Tuesday. He entered the portal on March 24 and has one year of eligibility remaining. A three-star transfer prospect, Fort was the No. 390 player and No. 104 shooting guard in the portal, per the On3 Transfer Portal Rankings.
The rising sixth-year senior played the 2024-25 season at Samford, which saw head coach Bucky McMillan leave for Texas A&M following the Bulldogs’ season-ending loss to George Mason in the the opening round of the NIT.
Fort started all 33 of his appearances for Samford this past season, averaging 24.6 minutes per game. He averaged a team-best 14.6 points on 44.8 percent shooting (37.9 percent from three). He attempted 6.4 three-pointers per game.
Fort also shot 73 percent from the free throw line on 2.7 attempts per game. He grabbed four rebounds per game and dished out 1.4 assists to 1.1 turnovers per game.
Fort received Third Team All-SoCon honors after the season. The Bulldogs finished 22-12 (12-6), good for third place in the SoCon.
Fort scored a season-high 36 points in Samford’s 76-68 win over Wofford last year. He shot 13-of-17 (4-of-6 from three) and grabbed eight rebounds in 34 minutes. He had seven games of 20-plus points last season, and 14 of 15-plus.
The Florence, Miss., native spent the 2023-24 season at Mississippi State. He appeared in 20 games for the Bulldogs, including seven starts. Fort averaged five points, 1.8 rebounds and 0.5 assists on 38.2 percent shooting (34.9 percent from three) in 11.2 minutes per game that season. Fort sustained a ligament injury in his thumb at mid-season which curtailed his role and productivity in the second half of the season.
Fort transferred to Mississippi State after receiving National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Second Team All-America honors during the 2022-23 season at Howard. He averaged 24 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists on 52 percent shooting (45.2 percent from three) that year.
One year prior, at Wesson (Miss.) Copiah-Lincoln Community College, Fort averaged 26.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game. He appeared in 11 games off the bench during his freshman season at UT Martin in 2020-21. That year, Fort averaged 2.6 points, 0.5 rebounds and 0.3 assists on 40.7 percent shooting (41.7 percent from three) in 7.3 minutes per game.
The Florence (Miss.) High School product has played Michigan State twice in his career. Fort and Samford lost to the Spartans, 83-75, at the Breslin Center last Nov. 19. Fort totaled four points, four rebounds and two assists to three turnovers in that game. He shot 1-of-8 from the field and 0-of-5 from three in 22 minutes.
One year prior, Michigan State defeated Fort and Mississippi State, 69-51, in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. Fort played just one minute in that game.
The addition of Fort gives Michigan State’s backcourt a needed boost. Two scholarship guards from last year’s team are set to return: redshirt freshman point guard Jeremy Fears and freshman shooting guard Kur Teng.
Junior guard Tre Holloman, sophomore forward Xavier Booker and redshirt freshman guard Gehrig Normand all entered the transfer portal following Michigan State’s Elite Eight loss to Auburn. Holloman has committed to North Carolina State, while Booker has committed to UCLA. Normand has yet to announce his next move.
Freshman guard Jase Richardson entered the NBA Draft. Meanwhile, Michigan State will graduate guard Jaden Akins, wing Frankie Fidler and center Szymon Zapala.
