MSU's Izzo Speaks on Portal Addition Bonke for First Time

Michigan State's biggest (and only) obvious transfer portal need has been filled.

On Wednesday, the Spartans landed the commitment of Charlotte transfer Anton Bonke. He averaged 10.6 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game last season and is technically in the NBA Draft, but will probably remove his name from the process by the May 27 deadline, similarly to MSU's Jeremy Fears Jr.'s situation.

Sometimes, we don't get to hear what a coach thinks about that transfer portal player for a while, since it's the offseason now, and Tom Izzo probably won't have another press conference until September or so.

Thankfully, Izzo went on "The Drive with Jack Ebling" on Thursday and shared some of his thoughts on Bonke.

Highlights From Izzo's Appearance

Michigan State's Tom Izzo yells at a referee about a call made during a game against Northwestern at the Breslin Center on Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026. | Starr Portice, Michigan State Spartans on SI

“We just think this kid has a little bit of everything," Izzo said about Bonke." He’s tough, he’s got size, he can shoot a three… We feel that we got ourselves a very good player that is going to really help us.”

There was plenty of high-major interest for Bonke. Izzo says there was a time when he thought Bonke would wind up at Kansas with Bill Self, for one. He also name-dropped Purdue, Gonzaga, Texas Tech, BYU, and Cincinnati as other programs that were around Bonke's recruitment.

Pleased With Get, Not a 'Savior'

Nov 9, 2024; Providence, Rhode Island, USA; Providence Friars center Anton Bonke (5) warms up before a game against the Stonehill Skyhawks at Amica Mutual Pavilion. | Eric Canha-Imagn Images

Bonke is ranked 13th among transfer portal centers by On3, putting him in the mid-to-upper tier of portal big men in a year where centers were in very, very high demand. Kansas has blue blood status, of course. Purdue seems to constantly have a good big man. Texas Tech and BYU are two of college basketball's NIL heavy-hitters.

Izzo also wanted to stress that Bonke won't be the team's "savior." At the end of the day, guys are entering the portal and looking for new schools, rather than going pro, for a reason. Lots of fans were looking for that supreme splash acquisition this offseason (such as Aiden Sherrell). The only problem is that there are only so many players like that, and they might have price tags by them that are too high, especially when you factor in appropriate compensation for Fears and/or Coen Carr.

Michigan State's Tom Izzo walks in with his staff against Louisville in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at the KeyBank Center on Saturday, March 21, 2026. | Starr Portice, Michigan State Spartans on SI

"You have to remember in basketball, the kid’s a junior or senior, if he’s 6-10 or 6-11, or this or that, if he’s that good, he’s gone pro already," Izzo said. "People have this myth that a kid won’t go pro because he can make more money now. That’s not really true, either."

"If you have a chance to be in the NBA, you’re going. Now, if you’re a question mark, then it’s different. Most of the kids in the portal at that size are kids that are good players that are trying to get better, but they’re not saviors to anybody."

Add us as a preferred source on Google