Despite the college basketball season not totally being concluded, the transfer portal and roster mania are in full swing, and Michigan State basketball needs to get active in the transfer portal sooner rather than later.
Going into the 2025-26 season, the center position feels like it is in a stable spot, but that likely depends on if Jesse McCulloch is truly a center over a power forward, along with how much Jaxon Kohler can get his body able to play the position.
One thing is for certain, though, Carson Cooper will be entering his fourth and final year with the Spartans. Michigan State does not have a center in the 2025 recruiting class, and as of now, there is no prospects in the 2026 class at the position. This meaning, after Cooper’s incoming departure, there is really no one waiting to take the reigns as the starting center, aside from McCulloch potentially forming into a center.
With the future uncertainty at the position, it would be wise for Tom Izzo to go into the portal and find a center that could help now, and in the future.
The way I see it, this is going to be more of a project type add, but someone who at least possesses enough of a skillset to be able to play a 15-to-20 minute role behind Cooper. The player also will have two or three years of eligibility remaining so they could step into a starting spot after next season.
There truly is no guarantee that MSU and Izzo feel the need to add a center via the portal, with Cooper, Kohler and McCulloch all being around the position, but if the Spartans do go into the portal, here are eight options that could potentially be pursued:
Flory Bidunga (Kansas)
Shooting for the stars for a second, Michigan State had a really good relationship with Bidunga throughout the recruiting process, and is the best available center in the portal, while also having three years of eligibility remaining.
Unfortunately, Bidunga is probably drumming up a bidding war north of two or three million dollars, something Izzo wants no part of.
Aday Mara (UCLA)
Mara could be the player coming back to the Spartans in a trade for Xavier Booker. A 7-foot-3 center with Big Ten experience, Mara would have two years of eligibility remaining, and a ton of building blocks for Izzo and company to work with.
Mara averaged 6.4 points and 4.0 rebounds in 2024-25.
Gabe Dynes (Youngstown State)
An interesting candidate that would make a ton of sense for MSU, Gabe Dynes, a portal entrant from Youngstown State. A native of Kentucky, Dynes averaged 6.8 points and 5.8 rebounds in just over 20 minutes for the Penguins last year. A 7’3″ center, the big man has a ton of potential to work with in his final two years of college.
Right now it appears to be a two horse race between Northwestern and Vanderbilt, but who says the Spartans couldn’t weasel their way into the fight.
Juslin Bodo Bodo (High Point)
Bodo Bodo is a 7-foot center that is an absolute menace rebounding the basketball. Averaging 6.2 points and 9.0 rebounds in his two years at High Point, Bodo Bodo plays a style of basketball that Izzo would love to have on his roster.
Bodo Bodo was the Big South Defensive Player of the Year, and according to Evan Miya, he is the best per-possession rebounder in college basketball. The only known school on the big man is TCU.
Jacob Cofie (Virginia)
A true freshman from Seattle (Wash.), Cofie was the defensive anchor for Virginia while averaging 7.2 points per game. Coming from the Virginia style, Cofie has a ton of tools Michigan State would love to build upon, while also being in a spot to contribute in Michigan State’s system right away.
As of now, his hometown Huskies of Washington appear to be the favorites, but his recruitment is very much wide open.
Drew Fielder (Georgetown)
An interesting entrant into the portal, the 6’11” Georgetown transfer averaged 7.1 points and 5.4 rebounds a year ago. The former Hoya has a post up game that the Spartans could desperately use, and would be a solid spell to Cooper for the Spartans.
Luke Bamgboye (VCU)
A true freshman at VCU a year ago, Bamgboye showed that he has freakish athleticism, and has the building blocks to be a very good center in the college game. Averaging 3.8 points and 3.3 rebounds per game, to go along with an astonishing 2.1 blocks per game, he is a paint presence that continued to get better as the season went along.
It is assumed that Bamgboye will likely follow head coach Ryan Odom to Virginia, but he is the type of talent that it is worth reaching out to, before anything is official.
Pape N’Diaye (UNLV)
A true project add, N’Diaye is from Africa’s Ivory Coast, and will be someone who needs a ton of TLC at his next stop. As a 7-footer, the former UNLV big man has the potential to be an elite rim protector, and showcased that ability to average over a block a game in just 13 minutes of action on average. The big man also averaged 2.7 points and 3.7 rebounds in just those 13 minutes of action.
This would definitely be a project for the coaching staff, but could be one with a ton of reward at the end of it.
Anyone else
Izzo could see that the Spartans need a big man to start over Cooper, and go bigger than this list. He could see the need for a backup center, and go the one and done route like Szymon Zapala a year ago. Izzo could say he does not want to go for a center at all, and ignore the position. Or, Izzo can go for someone on this list, or like the candidates on this list, and find someone to be a backup, who also has potential to grow into a bigger role.
