Why MSU Made Right Decision in Portal With Anton Bonke

Michigan State basketball had an interesting market to work through this offseason.

Tom Izzo's 2026-27 team only had one obvious hole in it: center. Both Jaxon Kohler and Carson Cooper were departing the program, and MSU needed a more proven piece at the five. The Spartans ended up landing Anton Bonke on April 22, a little more than two weeks after the portal officially opened. There are a few reasons to think that Michigan State made the right choice.

Overinflated NIL Market

One of the problems the Spartans dealt with was the simple fact that big men were in extremely high demand. Every team that wants a realistic shot at a Final Four needs a high-quality player who is at least 6-foot-9 or 6-foot-10 (at least).

It's a basic supply-and-demand issue. There just aren't that many people that tall out there who are seeking to change schools and are high-major caliber. When there are so many suitors and so few players, that means those players can command a giant sum of NIL and/or revenue-sharing dollars.

Lots of Michigan State fans thought that Alabama transfer Aiden Sherrell should be the team's top target. I was a part of that camp myself. He's from Detroit, led the SEC in blocks, can score, and stretch the floor. Since NIL or revenue-sharing deals don't have to be disclosed, it's hard to know what Sherrell was commanding.

Before Sherrell ended up choosing Indiana, a potential asking price came out. A report from Field of 68 said that Sherrell wanted $4 million from his next school. Sherrell commented on an Instagram post that the report was a lie, but later deleted the comment.

If that report is true, Izzo would have every right to balk at the price. In a vacuum, Izzo could make it happen, but $4 million would probably make Sherrell the highest-paid player on the Spartans' roster. Whatever he would pay his portal center, he would basically have to pay to Jeremy Fears Jr. and Coen Carr, two star players who are entering their fourth years with the program.

The Hoosiers, who also signed rumored MSU target Samet Yigitoglu, don't have to deal with that problem. Only one player from IU's roster from last year is coming back. That's rising sophomore Trent Sisley; he scored 4.2 points per game last season.

Bonke is a bit more in the sweet spot. He's high enough in the portal rankings (13th among centers by On3) and proven enough to fill that gap. Bonke is also a big man from a mid-major school. Sherrell is a former five-star prospect who started on a Sweet 16-level SEC team.

It's weird to talk about college athletes this way, but this is how rosters get built now. The money in college football and basketball seems to grow every season, but every team still has a finite pool of resources to spend. Indiana didn't really have to worry about ripple effects in the locker room over pay hierarchy; Michigan State did.

Other Options Passed Up

There were a few other options that Izzo and the Spartans might've passed up in favor of Bonke, based on later commitment dates.

At the time Bonke chose Michigan State, two other options who were hovering around the program were Charleston transfer Christian Reeves and Washington transfer Franck Kepnang. Reeves had reportedly taken a visit to East Lansing, while Kepnang had reportedly done a Zoom meeting with MSU.

In the end, Reeves went to Kansas two days after Bonke committed to the Spartans. Kepnang committed to Kentucky this past Saturday. Injuries seem like a potential reason Bonke was a better fit.

Reeves is already dealing with it a bit with the Jayhawks. According to Field of 68's Jeff Goodman, Reeves played through a labrum injury at Charleston last season and will be out for a good portion of the summer.

Kepnang is just injury-prone in general. This coming season will be his seventh year playing college hoops, having received a COVID waiver and two medical waivers. He's only been able to be available for every single game once in his six years in the sport.

Potentially giving a starting spot in a bit of an all-in year to somebody with that label would've felt unwise. Frankly, I just think Bonke is a better player overall and for Michigan State's system than Reeves and Kepnang.

Podcast Breakdown

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow