East Lansing — Michigan State got its center out of the transfer portal, and he's a big one.
Anton Bonke committed to Michigan State on Wednesday, his agent Scott Nichols confirmed to The Detroit News. Bonke brings a lot of size, stepping into Breslin Center at 7-foot-2 and 270 pounds. Bonke broke out last season at Charlotte with 10.6 points and 8.3 rebounds per game while shooting 13-for-38 on 3-pointers.
Bonke is currently testing the NBA Draft waters while retaining his NCAA eligibility, the same as Michigan State point guard Jeremy Fears Jr.
Nichols said his client is "excited to be a part of the Spartans" but is "focused 100%" on the NBA Draft for now.
Bonke fills an immediate need at center, where incoming freshman Ethan Taylor was the only true center on scholarship, though forward Jesse McCulloch played there in parts of 28 games (7.4 minutes per game) last season in a run to the Sweet 16. The Spartans lost two pillars of the frontcourt in stretch four Jaxon Kohler and center Carson Cooper to graduation.
While Bonke brings a lot of size, he also brings experience. He enters his junior season after a year at Charlotte starting 32 of his 34 games and a freshman year at Providence where he started one of his 16 appearances.
Bonke is from Vanuatu, an island in the South Pacific east of Australia with a population of 341,500.
Michigan State pursued a few different centers in the portal. Detroit's own Aiden Sherrell, a 6-foot-10 forward who can play the five, was one target but wound up committing to Indiana. Franck Kepnang, the Washington big man who played next to All-Freshman center Hannes Steinbach last season, took an official visit. Bonke also visited, last Saturday during Michigan State's spring football showcase. Apparently, he liked what he heard.
Michigan State has 14 roster spots occupied heading into next season, with one more opened up by the late transfer declaration of combo guard Divine Ugochukwu.
Guards: Jeremy Fears Jr. (RS-JR)*, Carlos Medlock Jr. (FR), Jasiah Jervis (FR), Kur Teng (JR), Jordan Scott (SO)
Forwards: Kaleb Glenn (RS-JR), Coen Carr (SR), Cam Ward (SO), Julius Avent (FR), Jesse McCulloch (RS-SO), Brennan Walton (RS-SO), Colin Walton (RS-SO)
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Anton Bonke commits to Michigan State, remains in NBA Draft process