Okay, maybe this isn’t Tom Izzo’s Wishlist.
But it should be – somebody send him the link!
Here are four centers that I think Michigan State should be pursuing in the transfer portal – two that may be more of a reach and two that may be more realistic. I’ll be referencing On3’s list of Top Transfer Portal Players when referring to their rankings.
Reaching
Flory Bidunga
Bidunga is from Kinshasa, Congo and has spent the last two years at the University of Kansas. He is the top ranked player in the transfer
portal listed at 6’10” and 235 lbs. He won’t be cheap, but Michigan State has money to spend.
Flory averaged 13.3 PTS, 9.0 REB, and 2.6 BLK in 32 minutes per game last season. If you’re looking for a lob threat for Jeremy Fears in the pick-and-roll, Bidunga is your guy. He has shot 66% from the field in his Kansas career, higher than his 62% from the free throw line. While he may be slightly undersized for the center position, he has the verticality and athleticism to make it work.
Somto Cyril
Somtochukwu Cyril is from Enugu, Nigeria and has spent the last two years at the University of Georgia. On3 has him ranked as the 14th best player in the Portal and he’s listed as a hefty 6’11” and 260 lbs.
Similar to Bidunga, Cyril is a big(ger) body that can protect the rim and finish with strong dunks. Cyril’s offense seems to come from doing the dirty work of getting offensive rebounds or standing in the dunker’s spot in a halfcourt setting. In 21 minutes of play, he had 9.3 PTS, 5.4 REB, AND 2.2 BLK this season. He has great size and length to protect the rim and shot 76% from the field this season.
Bidunga’s pick-and-roll game seems like a better fit offensively than Cyril, but there’s no doubting Cyril’s defensive ability.
Realistic
Samet Yigitoglu
Let’s get one thing straight: Yigitoglu is a behemoth.
Samet is from Istanbul, Turkey and is a massive 7’2” and 270 lbs. He has spent the last two years at Southern Methodist and is the 35th ranked player in the portal.
Yigitoglu averaged 10.7 PTS, 7.9 REB, AND 1.3 BLK in 29 minutes per game last year. He has played in and started all 66 games of his collegiate career with the SMU Mustangs. While Samet also doesn’t shoot threes or shoot it well from the free throw line, he shot 63% from the field last season.
He’s much bigger and slower than two previous guys mentioned, but he has a better post-game and passing touch. His defensive versatility is impressive given how large of a human he is. I wonder if this is the balance of cost and size in a player that Tom Izzo is looking for, especially given Samet’s game with his back to the basket.
Aiden Sherrell
I’m saving the best for last here even though that’s not how a Wishlist works.
Aiden Sherrell is who I want out of the portal. He’s listed at 6’10” and 255 lbs and is ranked 13th according to On3, one spot ahead of Somto Cyril. If Izzo landed nobody else but Sherrell, that would be a massive addition for the Spartans and an offseason that I would be extremely happy about.
Sherrell is from Detroit, Michigan and has spent the last two years at the University of Alabama. After a slow freshman year playing less than nine minutes, Aiden stepped into the starting lineup for the Crimson Tide and averaged 11.1 PTS, 6.2 REB, and 2.2 BLK in 24 minutes per game. He’s not as athletic as Bidunga or Cyril, but he can still catch lobs and defend at the rim.
Tom Izzo recruited Sherrell and offered him a scholarship about a month after Alabama did in 2022. Aiden even took an official visit to East Lansing in October 2022 so the connection to Michigan State has already been made. Perhaps Sherrell is looking to return to his home state?
The biggest difference between Sherrell and the previous three guys is that he can shoot. Last season he shot 2.4 three-pointers per game and made them at a 34% clip. The volume isn’t high and the percentage isn’t great, but I think his game complements the other guys on the roster (specifically Coen Carr) very well. I believe this team needs more shooting and a frontcourt of Kaleb Glenn, Coen Carr, and Aiden Sherrell surrounds Carr with shooting to give him spacing to do what he does best at the rim.
Given the relationship he already has built with Izzo and the proximity to his hometown in Detroit, I really hope the stars are aligning to see Aiden Sherrell in the Green and White.
What about you, TOC? Who’s on your Wishlist?
