They may have played second fiddle to their in-state rivals in the end, but Michigan State is coming off another decently solid campaign. The Spartans won 27 games, tied for 2nd place in the Big Ten, and found their way to the Sweet Sixteen for the third time in the last four seasons. Tom Izzo has built a legacy in East Lansing and is constantly putting together championship-level lineups.
There’s every possibility of a repeat performance this upcoming season, as the Spartans return a ton of talent from that team. They bid farewell to Carson Cooper and Jaxon Kohler but had minimal transfer losses. We’re going to see Jeremy Fears and Coen Carr back as seniors while underclassmen like Jordan Scott, Kur Teng, and Cam Ward look to step into larger roles for the future.
Izzo and his staff have obviously added even more talent into the mix with a very notable recruiting class. The highest-ranked piece is 4-star shooting guard Jasiah Jervis who likely finds a role in the backcourt right off the bat. Among the other additions is 7-footer Ethan Taylor, brilliant point guard Carlos Medlock Jr. and Julis Avent, a small forward with playmaking ability.
Our focus today is on the transfer portal and not that litany of 4-star recruits, but there’s only a single offseason addition from that portal in East Lansing. Anton Bonke is more than deserving of that notoriety and looks like a player who will add definite depth to this frontcourt. A 7-2 center from Vanuatu, his journey has gone from JUCO to a backup at Providence to solid work starting at Charlotte, averaging 10.6 points and 8.3 rebounds last year.
This offseason was all about adding size and strength under the basket and the Spartans certainly got a sizeable new piece at center. Bonke won’t be expected to have that same level or production that he had in the American Conference but Michigan State is certainly hoping he can be a reliable rotation piece who can block shots and produce around the rim.
It’s a rare sight in the current state of this sport, but there’s a lot of returning talent at Michigan State and that’s what’s going to elevate this program. The Spartans definitely need something out of Bonke, but they’ve got Fears back in a starring role and plenty of other familiar faces. Could we see a really special campaign in East Lansing?
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