It’s been a couple of weeks since the transfer portal opened and Tom Izzo has been involved with some big names as well as some under-the-radar guys to address Michigan State basketball’s void at center.
The Hall of Fame head coach had been reportedly in the mix for Aiden Sherrell and Samet Yigitoglu before both committed to Indiana and also Moustapha Thiam before he scheduled a Michigan visit.
There was also even talk about Izzo targeting luke McEldon before he committed to Northwestern last week, but that was likely for a backup center spot. The Spartans are also pursuing Anton Bonke who just took a visit this past weekend and Washington’s Franck Kepnang who’s entering his seventh season and rumor has it that he had a Zoom call with Michigan State.
The transfer portal closes on April 21, which means that we essentially know who the center options in the portal are, but I would bet that some big names enter right before the deadline.
I still believe that Izzo is feeling the pressure to work quickly in the portal and he has some decisions to make. Will he target a guy who could start and maybe cause somewhat of a rift in the locker room because he may think he’s bigger than the program if he’s commanding a big bag. Izzo is trying to avoid that at all costs, but you can spent big boy money and still get a culture fit.
I do think Michigan State is going to land a portal center this offseason, and I have a pretty good idea as to who it might be.
Who will the Spartans’ next transfer addition be?
Who will Michigan State land in the portal this offseason? It’s impossible to say for sure, but if I had to venture a guess, it would be Franck Kepnang.
The Washington big man was the second-leading shot blocker (2.1) in the Big Ten this past season and he was a former top-50 recruit before suffering several injuries and playing really only two “full” seasons in his six-year career. He isn’t going to score you a lot of points, but he’s a solid rebounder and a good defender so that fits the Izzo mold.
I just have a feeling that Izzo has already turned his attention to Kepnang after Bonke visited without committing on the trip and really no buzz surrounding that recruitment.
I’m not sure when it’ll happen or if this means that Carson Cooper will return, but I truly believe that Kepnang is going to be Michigan State’s lone transfer addition this offseason. No inside info on this one, just the overall feel I get from the recruitment.
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