5 Potential Transfer Portal Targets at Center for MSU Here are some big men planning to hit the portal who the Spartans could look at. with their 2025-26 campaign's end against UConn in the Sweet 16. Both players averaged double digits in the scoring column, and they were the top two rebounders on the team. Michigan State's Jaxon Kohler yells after being introduced as a starter before a game against Northwestern at the Breslin Center on Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026. | Starr Portice, Michigan State Spartans on SISomeone else will have to be added to the fold. It's really, really early in the process, but here are some names that make sense right now.Feb 25, 2026; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes forward Bangot Dak during the second half against the Kansas State Wildcats at the CU Events Center. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Imageson Sunday night that he would be entering the transfer portal, and he'll have plenty of suitors. Hopefully, Michigan State will be one of them. Dak's athleticism pops off the tape at seven feet tall. He'd be another amazing alley-oop partner for Jeremy Fears Jr. and moves a lot more like someone who plays small forward or power forward, rather than center. He's not a great shooter at 26.5% from three for his career, but he is enough of a threat that people have to respect the range a little bit.Through two games he’s averaging 10/9/2 along with 2 BPG Dak moved extremely well for his height and has the ability to play as a rim runner or create his own look using his mobility and…The production is there, too. Dak has improved each season of his college career and averaged 11.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks during his junior year. He should also gain some Izzo points, given the fact that he has given Colorado three years and might just be looking to contribute at a more successful program for his final year of college hoops. Dak only having one year left also fits the timeline. Having him start and giving Taylor a season to learn as the backup in a bench role would make a lot of sense for the program's long-term future.Feb 8, 2026; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Memphis Tigers guard Sincere Parker shoots the ball against Charlotte 49ers center Anton Bonke during the first half at FedExForum. | Wesley Hale-Imagn Images, who tossed his name in the portal on March 24. He's from the tiny island nation of Vanuatu, which has a population of just about 340,000 people and is located a bit northeast of Australia. Bonke took a leap this past season while playing for the 49ers, averaging 10.6 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game. Charlotte was his third school in three years, with Bonke starting at Eastern Arizona College before spending a season at Providence. Nov 28, 2024; Paradise Island, Bahamas, BHS; Davidson Wildcats forward Sean Logan dribbles as Providence Friars center Anton Bonke defends during the first half at the Imperial Arena at the Atlantis Resort. | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images He provides even more height, standing at 7-foot-2 and 260 pounds. Charlotte has a dead-slow tempo , but Bonke looks athletic enough to keep up with MSU's pace. Bonke can both get it done on the low block and can even stretch the floor a little bit, having made 13 threes this past season. The competition in the American Conference is also on the stiffer side for a mid-major program. The years of eligibility will be a bit of a question. Bonke will have at least one, but there is the possibility of a second year, since he started at a JUCO outside of the NCAA. Either way, he's a short-term option that fits the Spartans' timeline relatively well.Another defensive-minded player to keep an eye on is Chol Machot from Charleston, who announced his intention to enter the transfer portal with two years of eligibility remaining on March 18. He began at Florida SouthWestern State College, a junior college , as a true freshman before moving up to Charleston this past year.The impact Machot had there was immediate and huge. He averaged 8.9 points and 5.5 rebounds a game, but the number that sticks out is his 2.5 blocks. That ranked ninth in Division I and first in the CAA. He was the conference's Defensive Player of the Year as a result. There is some serious upside to Machot. He'll have two or three years remaining to keep improving, and he already moves very well for someone his size at 7-foot-0.Nov 12, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Oakland Golden Grizzlies forward Isaac Garrett reacts after a play during the second half against the Houston Cougars at Fertitta Center. | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images, who announced on March 11 that he was entering the transfer portal. Standing at 6-foot-8, he's more of a power forward than a center, but the Golden Grizzlies would use him at the five occasionally. He is undersized for the position , but Garrett is versatile. He can dribble and pass pretty well for a frontcourt piece and would make Michigan State's offense more dynamic. Nov 7, 2025; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Oakland Golden Grizzlies forward Isaac Garrett controls the ball against Purdue Boilermakers guard C.J. Cox during the second half at Mackey Arena. | Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images Exhibit No. 1 about why it could work for Garrett at this level is that he's done well against high-major teams. Oakland'susually schedules daunting non-conference schedules, placing Michigan, Houston, Purdue, MSU, and UCF on this year's schedule for his team. Against those five high-major foes, Garrett averaged 15.8 points and 5.2 rebounds per game. Izzo and Kampe are also close friends. Kampe would probably like to upset Izzo during their annual matchup one of these years, but if a high-major team is going to take one of his players, Michigan State would probably be on Kampe's list of OKs.Mar 11, 2026; Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, USA; Boston University Terriers forward Ben Defty reacts after a foul in the second half against the Lehigh Mountain Hawks in the Patriot League Championship at Stabler Arena. | James Lang-Imagn Images, who 247Sports' Dushawn London reported will be entering the transfer portal on March 17. Defty was one of the top players in the Patriot League this past season, averaging 15.1 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks per game. He was second-team all-conference and on the all-defensive team. Defty stands at 7-foot-0 and 255 pounds. Nov 11, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins forward William Kyle III grabs a rebound between Boston University Terriers forward Ben Defty and guard Michael McNair during the first half at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom. | Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images The big question would be whether Defty could adjust to the Big Ten and an MSU offense that constantly pushes the pace. Defty had the stamina to give BU 29.5 minutes per game this season, but the Terriers were 355th in adjusted tempo, per KenPom. Jumping from the Patriot League to the Big Ten is also a pretty big leap. KenPom has ranked the Patriot League 27th out of 31 conferences each of the last two seasons. The Big Ten has trailed the SEC only in those two years. Michigan State's Tom Izzo watches from the sideline against North Dakota State during the first round of the NCAA Tournament at the KeyBank Center on Thursday, March 19, 2026. | Starr Portice, Michigan State Spartans on SIA 2025 graduate from Michigan State University, Cotsonika brings a wealth of experience covering the Spartans from Rivals and On3 to his role as Michigan State Spartans Beat Writer on SI. At Michigan State, he was also a member of the world-renowned Spartan marching band for two seasons.