New International Big Emerging as Potential MSU Portal Target

The search for Michigan State's new center is ongoing.

A few different names from the transfer portal have been added and removed from the list. Two of MSU's top targets right now appear to be Alabama transfer Aiden Sherrell and SMU transfer Samet Yigitoglu, but a third name is also appearing to be a realistic possibility: Charlotte transfer Anton Bonke. Both Jeremy Fears Jr. and Coen Carr currently follow Bonke on Instagram.

Get to Know Bonke

Feb 8, 2026; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Memphis Tigers guard Sincere Parker (23) shoots the ball against Charlotte 49ers center Anton Bonke (49) during the first half at FedExForum. | Wesley Hale-Imagn Images

Bonke, whom I listed as a possible target prior to the portal opening, is coming off a productive season at Charlotte, averaging 10.6 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game. He averaged 25.6 minutes per game while starting 32 of the 49ers' 34 games this season.

Even though he stands at a towering 7-foot-2 and 270 pounds, Bonke can stretch the floor a bit. He made 13 three-pointers this season on 38 attempts, good for a 34.2% mark from behind the arc. Bonke remains efficient near the rim, making 61.8% of his twos this season.

Michigan State basketball coach Tom Izzo tells a story to the media while recalling his very first Sweet 16 during a press conference at Capital One Arena in Washington DC on Thursday, March 26, 2026. The Spartans play the University of Connecticut on Friday evening. | Eric Seals / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

His rebounding is also a plus. KenPom ranks him as the No. 40 offensive rebounder in the country this season and the No. 53 defensive rebounder. His 8.3 rebounds per game ranked fourth in the American Conference this year.

Jumping from the American to the Big Ten is a pretty feasible task. That conference is generally one of the stronger mid-major conferences out there, ranked as the 10th-best in the nation this year out of 31, with conference champion South Florida getting an 11-seed in the NCAA Tournament and runner-up Tulsa getting to the NIT final.

More Background Info

Bonke's next stop will end up being his fourth school in four seasons of college basketball. He began at the JUCO level at Eastern Arizona College before moving up to Providence in the Big East. During his year with the Friars, Bonke flickered in and out of the rotation, just appearing in 16 total games with one start.

That will put Bonke's overall eligibility in a bit of question. Charlotte listed him as a junior, indicating that next year could be it for him, but Bonke could potentially get a fifth year because he spent that true freshman season at a junior college outside of the NCAA's purview.

Lastly, another fun fact is simply that Bonke is from Vanuatu, a tiny island nation located off the northeastern coast of Australia and a bit west of Fiji. The population of the entire country is a bit above 300,000 people, a similar number to the populations of Honolulu or Cleveland.