If at any point last year you looked ahead to the 2026-27 season, you probably got excited just thinking about the possibilities of Michigan State’s roster.
You saw a veteran Jeremy Fears Jr. running the show with loads of talent on the wings and depth at the forward spot. It was hard not to get excited about the guys they could possibly bring back.
The only real questions were whether they were deep enough at center and who would start.
Tom Izzo went to work by adding Anton Bonke out of the portal and signing Ethan Taylor among others in his 2026 class. With Jesse McCulloch coming on, too, he’ll now try and manage the position with three new faces to the rotation.
Each guy brings a tool to the table that the others don't.
Anton Bonke
At 7-foot-2, 270 pounds, Bonke is a true big man for Izzo. He’s also a senior who’s a bit more raw than your average senior. He made 33 starts at the D1 level over his last two years, 32 of them coming with Charlotte. Bonke is a JUCO product who started his college career at Eastern Arizona in 2023-24.
After a year of JUCO, he bounced from Providence College to Charlotte before settling here with the Spartans. He came here to be the starting center and provide a veteran presence for a couple of younger bigs. It remains to be seen if that’s what he’ll provide for the team.
So far, Bonke has started in two of three exhibition games, as well as the first three games of the season. Bonke has shown some promise during his first few games as a Spartan but needs to limit fouls if he wants to stay on the floor. When he’s on the court, he’s shown the ability to clean the glass and defend the post. While he hasn’t established himself as a rim runner or a lob threat just yet, he has shown a decent touch inside.
The defensive side of the ball is where most of the concern lies. At this point in the season, Bonke is not able to hedge ball screens at a high level. And based on how Izzo coaches, he expects his centers to be able to blow up ball screens. You could see Izzo experimenting with this during exhibition games, testing whether Bonke was able to hedge and recover.
So far in the non-conference, he’s been using Bonke in some different drop coverages. It seems like Izzo has started to figure out just how he wants to use his different bigs.
Jesse McCulloch
The 6-foot-11 redshirt sophomore is ready to crack the rotation in his third year. Jesse brings a different skill set than our other two 7-footers with his ability to stretch the floor. The defensive end will determine his minutes this season. If he can rebound, defend his position, and hedge ball screens, he’ll command most of the minutes. The same can be said about Taylor and Bonke as well, but at this point there are more uncertainties surrounding them.
One thing we learned early from Izzo about McCulloch is that he is an excellent communicator. Izzo said that while out recruiting, he noticed Jesse as a sophomore (“talking his brains out”), which ultimately led to them looking into him. Fast forward four and a half years later and he’s now a redshirt sophomore looking to crack the starting lineup.
McCulloch shot 9-for-18 from three last season and has shown some back-to-the basket ability. His ability to space the floor is essential when he plays alongside Carr and Ward. He also has great hands and a soft touch around the rim with a good feel for the basket.
Unfortunately, he was dealt a tough hand starting the year with a concussion and missing the first game. With that now behind him, he’s looked very good in his role during the two games against Toledo and Duke.
As the only proven stretch big on the roster, Jesse should have a good-sized role throughout the season.
Ethan Taylor
Standing at 7-foot-2, Taylor brings a ton of size and raw potential. Taylor was ranked the 23rd best prospect in the nation and a five-star by 247 at the time of his commitment. While their final rankings have him just inside the top 50, it’s clear that there’s a lot to like.
Scouts raved about his physical tools and his offensive upside with an ability to stretch the floor. There were some questions about his motor and his current offensive skill set coming out of high school. But as a 7-foot-2 center who’s turning 19 in January, it’s fair to question some parts of his game. He’ll have all the time he needs to tune up his game over the course of the season.
As of now, Taylor has shown glimmers of being a reliable big for Michigan State. Though he’s playing limited minutes, his athleticism and mobility stand out big time. He doesn’t move like an 18 year old 7-footer playing in his first few collegiate basketball games. Taylor is very fluid in his movements, which should allow him to hedge ball screens and recover. He also has a very mature frame for a freshman 7-footer, which will pay dividends come Big Ten play.
Though he is still very young and does need to add strength, Izzo surely didn’t expect him to come in with a college-ready frame. This will earn him minutes early, but to fully establish himself as an Izzo center, he’ll need to take a step on both sides of the ball. Taylor is off to a good start so far, and if the trajectory holds, he’ll be a completely different player come February/March.
To say Izzo has a few pieces at center this year is an understatement. Their three bigs simultaneously check all the boxes. It will be up to how they’re all used together and how they develop throughout the season.
If there’s one coach I trust to get the best out of these three, it's Izzo.
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