A transfer portal center needs to be next step for Michigan State basketball

The portal hasn't been overly kind to Michigan State basketball through the first few weeks of the offseason, but Tom Izzo is working hard to make sure that changes.

Frankie Fidler is still high on the list of priorities and all signs are pointing toward him becoming a Spartan sooner rather than later. Michigan State just received an On3 prediction to land Fidler on Monday and it looks like his commitment could be on the horizon.

But Izzo has said that the Spartans have room for two new scholarship players.

If Fidler is the first, who will be the second? Many were hoping it would be Oakland's Trey Townsend, but a new development in that recruitment wasn't exactly positive for those hopes. He essentially shut down his recruitment and said he was no longer planning a trip to East Lansing. There was talk that he was going to take an official visit to Michigan State but now it seems as if the Spartans are out.

And if that's the case, it means one thing: it's time for Izzo to turn his attention to transfer centers.

There have been no transfer centers connected to Michigan State -- yet. Despite that being the weakest position on the team last year, there has seemingly been no attempt to address that in the portal. But that needs to change, especially since there will no longer be a lineup of Tre Holloman/Jeremy Fears, Jaden Akins, Fidler, Townsend, and Xavier Booker.

Now that Townsend is off the table, maybe Booker can slide back to the four and Izzo can snag a talented center from the portal.

Non-graduate players have until May 1 to enter their names into the portal, so there's a chance Izzo is waiting until then to make a run at centers, but some progress in that area would be more than welcomed. Let's hope he makes that the next step after this Townsend news.