New Michigan State Spartans Basketball Transfer given a ‘B’ grade from fans

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - NOVEMBER 11: Anton Bonke #49 of the Charlotte 49ers jumps for the opening tipoff against the Davidson Wildcats at Dale F. Halton Arena on November 11, 2025 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by David Jensen/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Earlier this week, I asked TOC Nation to grade the Anton Bonke transfer portal commitment. The results were quite definitive, with just a tick under 70% giving this move a B.

Going into the offseason, it was common knowledge that Tom Izzo needed to grab a center from the portal to solidify the roster for the 2026-27 season. After some of the earlier-named targets committed to other schools, some concern sunk in, as was evident in our comment sections. There was an overwhelming sense that the “plan A” guys were gone and we would be stuck with someone who would fill a roster spot but not necessarily be a difference maker. Some of those other names included Flory Bidunga (Kansas>Louisville), Aiden Sherrell (Alabama>Indiana), and Samet Yigitoglu (SMU>Indiana).

Then the news came out that Anton Bonke, formerly of the University of Charlotte 49ers, was coming to East Lansing. Mike wrote an in-depth article of our newest player, and it appears that the report has helped raise the level of optimism on the player and on next year’s squad as a whole.

As for me personally, while I certainly would have appreciated getting a name who has already done it at major conference level (i.e. Sherrell), I feel strongly that Bonke is going to be able to come in and duplicate what we received last year from Carson Cooper. That, along with some promising depth behind him with Jesse McCulloch and Ethan Taylor, gives me confidence that the center position won’t be a glaring weakness on next year’s squad, much like the shooting guard spot was last year.