Michigan State’s next exhibition could tell a pretty interesting story at center.
With UConn set to visit the Breslin Center next Tuesday, the Spartans are heading into one of the most revealing tune-ups of the preseason. The game won’t count in the standings, but it should offer a real look at how Michigan State stacks up against one of the top teams on its schedule.
The bigger question for the Spartans may be who opens at center.
Four spots in Michigan State’s starting five seem fairly settled, but practice photos posted by the program have sparked some noise about the fifth. One fan, Loomin Knotty, has been tracking the jersey colors in those images for a couple of weeks, noting that players such as Jeremy Fears Jr., Coen Carr, and Cam Ward have consistently shown up in green, which suggests first-team status. In the latest set of photos, Carr and Ward were again in green, while Anton Bonke was wearing white and lined up against Ward.
Another week of work pic.twitter.com/ie9z5JZD8f
- Michigan State Men's Basketball (@MSU_Basketball) October 13, 2026
That detail matters because Bonke entered Michigan State as the projected starter from Charlotte, but he didn’t look like the top option at the position in the exhibition opener against Incarnate Word. That performance, paired with the practice photos, points to a possible opening for Ethan Taylor, the true freshman who impressed in the first exhibition.
Taylor looked active against Incarnate Word. He rebounded well, brought energy on defense, and showed enough on offense to leave a strong first impression. Bonke, by contrast, looked slower and seemed like the player who fit the “project” label more closely.
There’s still plenty of time before the season tips off for real, and Tom Izzo could simply be sorting through different looks in exhibition play before settling on a regular-season starter. But if the latest practice hints mean anything, Taylor may get the first crack at starting against UConn.
That would be a notable move. Izzo starting a true freshman at center is not something Michigan State has seen since Nick Ward, and even Xavier Booker only picked up a few starts as a freshman. Taylor arrived with plenty of buzz after committing last year and joining his Link Academy teammate Carlos Medlock Jr. in East Lansing, and he may already be earning a bigger role than expected.
Bonke will want a sharper showing, and Taylor will be looking to build on the opener. For now, the “tea leaves,” as Loomin Knotty put it, seem to be leaning toward the freshman. The next exhibition should give Michigan State a much clearer answer.
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The bigger question now is how quickly that trust turns into a larger role. Veteran Anton Bonke is still the current starter, but Taylors play has created the possibility that he could take over the position as the season goes on. Izzos comments suggest he sees more than just a useful freshman, and for Michigan State, that kind of early belief can change the shape of a frontcourt in a hurry. [Read more 🡒]