Vanderbilt A.J. Hoggard acknowledges that not everyone believes in him and the program that he's joining.

That's ok by the fifth-year guard, though.

"I'm never gonna lose my chip," Hoggard said. "I think that's something that's always gonna be there. That's always just part of me. But people are always gonna say what they think and people may agree, some may agree. I might not agree. So it's kinda using it all as motivation to go out there and compete at a high level.”

After a four year career at Michigan State in which he averaged 10.7 points his senior season, Hoggard joins a Vanderbilt program that has plenty to prove itself.

"A lot of people are going to be like; first year coaching staff, new team. People are gonna be doubtful but that's what we're in it for," Hoggard said. "We just gotta get to work when that time comes to figure things out and go from there.”

Hoggard seems to understand the history: the 9-23 finish last season, the NCAA Tournament drought. The former Michigan State guard also seems to see a path to change, though.

A path that starts with what he can provide for his new coaching staff.

"With the new staff coming in they have the same mindset that I have," Hoggard said. "They want to win. They want to come in and make this a place people recognize for basketball. It was just something that we are all on board with trying to revamp everything going on down there at Vanderbilt. I'm just trying to be a positive help in that in any way possible."

Hoggard is no stranger to a recognizable basketball school or expectation. The 6-foot-4 guard got plenty of that experience in four seasons at Michigan State while scoring in double figures twice.

The graduate transfer was one in a long line of successful Spartans guards, although Hoggard feels as if there was more on the table for him.

"It was definitely fun and I enjoyed it," Hoggard said of his time at Michigan State. "To get an opportunity to put the green and white colors on and play for a prestigious program like that and have some success, not the success of to my liking or maybe not to the fans liking either, but it was just definitely a fun time of being here and being a student athlete [at Michigan State].

"I wish this last year could have went a little different, but my time here was phenomenal on and off the court. This place is gonna be a special place in my heart."

Perhaps that set in a bit for Hoggard, who Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo noted a significant difference in towards the end of his career in the BIG 10.

"A.J. was a different kid," Izzo said of what he saw from Hoggard towards the end of his senior season after Michigan State's NCAA Tournament loss to North Carolina. "Maybe, as I told A.J., if he led like he did the last couple weeks throughout his career [things could've been different]."

Rather than looking back at how things could've been, Hoggard now looks ahead to a new opportunity. His last one at this level.

As Hoggard enters his last ride at the college level, he just wants more than just a life in Nashville and NIL money. He wants to win.

"My goal is kinda to come here and win, impact winning, find ways to impact winning on the team and have a successful year," Hoggard said "[Hoggard wants to] Have a fun year, give the fans something fun to watch every night and take Nashville by storm."

Vanderbilt's transfer guard was a 1,000 point scorer at his previous stop, was top 50 in the country in assists and was a double-digit scorer twice in the big 10.

Hoggard didn't bring that up when addressing Vanderbilt fans, though. The 6-foot-4 guard shined more light on the mindset and effort he feels he'll bring to West End.

"He's a competitor," Hoggard said when asked why fans should bet on A.J. Hoggard. "He's gonna compete for 40 minutes, he's gonna do what it takes to win. So I think that's a reason why you should definitely bet on me.

"I would say a competitor, for sure," Hoggard added when asked to describe himself. "I'm someone that's gonna go out there and give it his all. I wanna have fun while doing it. You know, that's one of the biggest things as well, having fun while playing. So, just doing all that and just being someone that's gonna come out there and give it his all."

Hoggard enters Vanderbilt in a new role, a role that's out of the spotlight and expectation that he's previously been accustomed to. That doesn't diminish any of the possibilites for the former Michigan State guard, though.

It's the last ride for a guy who has his eyes set on winning at a place that hasn't done it much recently.