Why Anton Bonke MSU's Most Intriguing Piece in 2026-27

Michigan State had the luxury of only having one real need in the transfer portal this offseason.

That was a starting-level center. MSU eventually landed on Charlotte transfer Anton Bonke. His path to East Lansing is already intriguing enough as a 7'2" native of Vanuatu with Dutch origins, but his on-court presence will be a big determining factor.

Unproven Pieces at Center

Bonke is the most proven center that the Spartans have right now. He's still not that proven, though, at least in terms of how he projects at the high-major level. Bonke averaged 10.6 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game at Charlotte last season. That was the season after being out of the regular rotation at Providence, though.

Michigan State needs a high-level starter at center to contend for a Big Ten and potentially a national title. Another year of Carson Cooper would've done the trick. Had MSU redshirted him back in 2022-23 as a true freshman, as originally planned, Bonke wouldn't be here.

Freshman Ethan Taylor and redshirt sophomore Jesse McCulloch are the other players seeking minutes at center. Taylor is a highly touted 4-star prospect with a lot of athleticism for someone who is seven-feet tall, but freshmen are still freshmen. He is certainly projected to have a bright future, but projections are just projections.

McCulloch is still finding his way around the rotation after his first two seasons with the program. He's got stretch ability at 6'11", but McCulloch isn't a great rebounder for someone his size, and he wasn't getting regular minutes later in the season once Tom Izzo cut down his rotation in late February and in March.

Unique Traits

Bonke is also going to be one of the more unique players who have played for MSU. He's going to be the tallest player in program history. Bonke can stretch the floor a little bit -- he shot 34.2% from three on about an attempt per game with Charlotte last season.

He's also much newer to the sport than others. Bonke only started playing basketball when he was about 15 or 16. That gives him a better chance to take a great leap each offseason. His not-so-noteworthy year at Providence isn't necessarily the best sign, but two years ago is an eternity ago in relation to Bonke's overall timeline.

Bonke has made massive strides each year. His freshman season was spent at the JUCO level at Eastern Arizona College. He averaged 9.8 points and 5.8 rebounds there while shooting less than 50% at the free-throw line. Bonke averaged more points and rebounds than that against pretty decent mid-major Division I competition just two seasons later. His three-point shot and free-throw percentage have also improved.

There is still that element of chance to it all. Is Bonke truly ready for high-major hoops this time, especially in a starting role? Izzo and Michigan State bet that the answer is "yes." If the Spartans are right, there is no ceiling on where MSU can end up come March (or perhaps April).

Dec 20, 2024; Providence, Rhode Island, USA; St. John's Red Storm guard Deivon Smith (5) shoots the ball over Providence Friars center Anton Bonke (5) during the second half at Amica Mutual Pavilion. | Eric Canha-Imagn Images

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