Trio of former Spartans playing in NCAA Tournament with new teams this week

Story by

Robert Bondy, Spartans Wire

Tue, Mar 17, 2026 ·

2 min read

We know Michigan State basketball is dancing in the NCAA Tournament for a 28th straight time, but did you know a trio of former Spartans are also sporting dancing shoes this week?

The NCAA Tournament will tip off on Tuesday with a pair of First Four games from Dayton. One of those games will include a former Spartans guard in Tre Holloman , whose NC State Wolfpack will play Texas . But Holloman isn't the lone former Spartan that left via the transfer portal this past offseason that'll be playing this week.

Let's take a look at the three former Spartans whose teams also reached the NCAA Tournament:

Tre Holloman ( NC State )

Mar 7, 2026; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; NC State Wolfpack guard Tre Holloman (5) celebrates with NC State Wolfpack forward Ven-Allen Lubin (22) after scoring against the Stanford Cardinal during the second half at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images

First round:Texas on Tuesday at 9:15 p.m. ET

Holloman will look to help NC State play their into the true first round of the NCAA Tournament via the First Four play-in game on Tuesday. Holloman has started for NC State most of the season, averaging 9.3 points and 2.0 assists per game across just over 25 minutes per game this year. This will be Holloman's final year of eligibility (unless granted a waiver for some reason) so his college career could wrap up as soon as Tuesday night should the Wolfpack lose against the Longhorns.

Xavier Booker ( UCLA )

Mar 14, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; UCLA Bruins center Xavier Booker (1) reacts after making a three point basket against the Purdue Boilermakers during the first half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images

First round:UCF on Friday at 7:25 p.m. ET

Spartans fans have seen Booker a couple of times recently, with his Bruins upsetting Michigan State in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals last week. That loss pushed the Spartans down a seed line in the NCAA Tournament so it's safe to say he's had a noticeable impact on the tournament for Michigan State.

Booker has been a regular starter for the Bruins this season, averaging 6.9 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game. His role on UCLA could be even more raised in the NCAA Tournament should Tyler Bilodeau not be able to go after suffering an injury in the Big Ten Tournament. If Booker elevates his game here in March, we could see him get another crack at the Spartans in the Sweet 16 with both Michigan State and UCLA in the bottom half of the East Region.

Gehrig Normand (Santa Clara)

Dec 4, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Michigan State Spartans guard Gehrig Normand (7) celebrates his three-point basket against the Minnesota Golden Gophers during the second half at Williams Arena. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

First round: Kentucky on Friday at 12:15 p.m. ET

Normand left the Spartans via the transfer portal last offseason, but it was a similar story this year with his new team. After battling injuries during his two years at Michigan State, he again dealt with injuries this season and never suited up for Santa Clara.

The Broncos are back in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 30 years. While Normand will not play, this is still a fun story I'll be watching. It should be a fun game to start the day on Friday against Kentucky.

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This article originally appeared on Spartans Wire: Trio of former Spartans playing in NCAA Tournament with new teams this week