Welcome to the college basketball offseason where everything is speculation and we now have to wait seven months before Michigan State returns to action.
Way-too-early top 25 rankings are already coming out and the Spartans are projected in the top five to begin the 2026-27 season by just about everyone and that puts immense pressure on Tom Izzo to hit the portal to land the glaring need that we all see.
Izzo needs a center, and if he loses a guard, he could look to the portal for a replacement there as well. With the transfer portal opening on Tuesday, there are some elite centers on the market as well as a guard or two that I wouldn’t mind seeing Izzo upgrade a position with.
If Izzo is able to land any of these guys and retains his current roster, I think Michigan State becomes the favorite to win it all.
1. Aiden Sherrell, C, Alabama
Anyone who’s been reading along knows this: Aiden Sherrell is my favorite fit for Michigan State. The talented center has two years of eligibility remaining and he had the Spartans in his top group before he committed to Alabama. He took an official visit to East Lansing before committing to Nate Oats and the Crimson Tide, but the Detroit native would just make too much sense for the Spartans.
Sherrell is a 6-foot-10, 255-pound center who averaged 11.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks per game as a sophomore with the Tide, and he stretched the floor by shooting almost 34 percent from deep. He’s be a perfect fit in the post and he could stick around for two years.
2. Flory Bidunga, C, Kansas
This is one of those pipe dream options that I don’t really think Michigan State will spend to make a reality, but if Flory Bidunga did choose the Spartans, that would give them their best center since Xavier Tillman. The same could be said if Sherrell commits, but Bidunga is going to likely be the No. 1 player in the portal and he’ll demand a massive bag.
Bidunga was on the radar for Michigan State when he was a five-star recruit, and now that he’s back on the market, he’s back on the radar. He averaged 13.3 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks per game. He’d be the perfect two-way player, lob threat, and rim protector for MSU.
3. Somto Cyril, C, Georgia
Up there with Bidunga in terms of pipe dreams likely because of asking price, Somto Cyril was the first center to hit the portal that really drew my attention.
Cyril was a favorite of Draymond Green’s this season, and I’d hope that the former Spartan is in Izzo’s ear about targeting the Georgia big man. He was a really impressive player for the Bulldogs this season, averaging 9.3 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks while shooting nearly 76 percent (!!) from the floor. The 6-foot-11 center would be a tremendously efficient two-way player.
4. John Blackwell, SG, Wisconsin
It might be a little shocking to see a guard on this list, but I think if John Blackwell wants to come to Michigan State, you make sure you have room for him. Do I think Michigan State will be able to make room? If someone from the backcourt transfers, sure, but if Izzo spends one roster spot on a guard instead of a center, the fanbase will revold. I don’t see it unless there’s a surprise departure, however.
If there was a need for another guard due to transfer, I would hope Blackwell is at the top of the list. The talented shooting guard who spent the last three years at Wisconsin is a Michigan native and someone that Izzo called “the one that got away” from the 2023 recruiting class.
Blackwell might be a top-three player in the portal and many believe the Michigan native will head to Illinois to play for his dad’s alma mater. He averaged 19.1 points and 5.1 rebounds this season.
5. Bryson Tiller, PF/C, Kansas
Bryson Tiller would be a nice consolation prize if Bidunga is unattainable. The former five-star big man had a solid freshman season with the Jayhawks, averaging 7.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game. He has a different game than Bidunga because he can stretch the floor, though he does need to work on his 3-point shooting (just 26.9% in 2025-26).
The freshman would have three years of eligibility remaining and he’s going to take a huge step next season wherever he goes. His potential is through the roof and I think he’d be a really good addition potentially with the highest ceiling.