The biggest question mark surrounding Michigan State basketball heading into next season is the center position, and it is significant.
The Spartans have not made a move through the transfer portal this offseason. While the lack of activity may raise eyebrows, there is a positive dimension to it as well. Michigan State has not lost anyone to the portal either, which speaks to the program culture Tom Izzo has maintained in East Lansing, even as NIL has reshaped the landscape of college athletics.
The more pressing issue is what the program has lost to graduation. Jaxon Kohler and Carson Cooper were both key contributors last season, and neither will be back. Kohler developed into a reliable stretch four, averaging a career-high 12.5 points per game while shooting 39 percent from three. Cooper had a career year of his own, averaging 11 points per game as a dependable lob threat and defensive presence in the paint. Replacing that production will not be simple.
With the portal window closed, the frontcourt responsibility falls to two players with limited collegiate experience: redshirt freshman Jesse McCulloch and incoming freshman Ethan Taylor.
Jesse McCulloch
McCulloch enters his second year with the program, having spent last season working his way into the rotation after redshirting as a freshman…