How Anton Bonke Showed He Can Be MSU's Answer at Center

The Spartans have a lot of questions at center, and Anton Bonke answered some of them in the season opener.

Michigan State’s head coach Tom Izzo, left, talks with Anton Bonke at the end of the fist half in the game against Quinnipiac on Monday, Nov. 2, 2026, at the Breslin Center in East Lansing. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Spartans had a major question at center going into their first game of the season against Quinnipiac, and while only so much could be answered in just one game, there needed to be at least be something figured out by the end of the game.

Obviously, it was found out that MSU was not going to be a bad team this year, despite struggling a bit in the pre-season, as they blew out Quinnipiac in a win that got Spartan Nation riled up, but the questions at center could have still been there.

However, MSU's Anton Bonke was able to put his name on the map, along with some of his teammates, despite a disappointing off-season in which he hardly had any time on the court, especially not in the second half of any pre-season exhibition games.

So, even though it was a game against Quinnipiac, and it was certainly no rivalry game against Michigan, or big-name battle against Duke or even UCLA, what was Bonke able to accomplish that was so impressive?

What Bonke Did: Rebounding And Shooting

Nov 2, 2026; East Lansing, Michigan, USA; Michigan State Spartans center Anton Bonke (34) puts back a shot for two points in spite of Quinnipiac Bobcats forward Keith McKnight (21) during the second half at Jack Breslin Student Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Dale Young-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

One game can't tell it all, but if Bonke can have a performance like he did against Quinnipiac in most of the games this season, he will be set up to do well, as he had 13 total rebounds on the night. He was a major part of giving the Spartans the ability to pull away, as they did, and it was a sneak peek at what he might be able to do later on this season.

He was also able to do pretty well on the shooting side of the ball, as he made five of his seven field goal attempts. Sure, the only three-point attempt he took was a miss, but that just meant that the role he was actually needed to play in the post was deadly, giving MSU points 83% of the time when he decided to shoot.

However, There Was One Issue...

Michigan State’s head coach Tom Izzo, left, talks with Anton Bonke during the first half in the game against Quinnipiac on Monday, Nov. 2, 2026, at the Breslin Center in East Lansing. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Bonke could not get his free throws to fall. Yes, he only had three free-throw attempts on the night, and a couple of missed shots does not define what the rest of the season will be like, but this is the one part of his game that Bonke cannot repeat later on.

He only made one of his three free throws, and amidst the great rebounding and shooting that stood out like a sore thumb. But overall, Bonke had a game that seemed very contradictory to what exhibition matches had to say, and if he continues to play this way against tougher opponents, MSU might have found the answer at center they can be fully confident in this season.