What Happened to Anton Bonke Against UConn?

Let’s dive right into the elephant in the room.

Michigan State brought in just one transfer portal player this offseason: 7-foot-2 center Anton Bonke from Charlotte.

Bonke was expected to start at center for the Spartans almost as soon as he arrived in East Lansing. After Michigan State lost both of its starting big men, Carson Cooper and Jaxon Kohler, inserting the skyscraper known as Bonke into the starting lineup seemed like a no-brainer.

That was the case against Incarnate Word in Michigan State’s first exhibition game, and it remained that way to start the second exhibition matchup against UConn.

However, it didn’t take long for Tom Izzo to rethink things.

In the opening minutes of the game, Bonke got confused on a defensive switch. The mistake left both Bonke and Cam Ward guarding the ball at the top of the key, leaving a UConn player wide open down low.

It was a misread and a defensive lapse from Bonke, something that doesn’t fly under Tom Izzo.

Just like that, Bonke became the first player subbed out, making way for Jesse McCullough, who had been one of the standouts in the first exhibition game.

Izzo kept Bonke on the bench for almost the entirety of the first half. With a few minutes remaining before halftime, however, Bonke had apparently regained enough of his coach’s trust to get another opportunity.

Bonke made the most of his return with a nice play, securing a contested offensive rebound and putting it right back up for two points.

It was promising. It looked like Bonke could be a real threat down low.

On UConn’s ensuing possession, Bonke showed very good lateral movement, sticking with his man around the court and even coming up with a huge block. Unfortunately, the play was wiped away because of an unnecessary Jasiah Jervis block from behind.

Then the wheels fell off.

After just four minutes of playing time, Bonke looked gassed.

Following a possession that required him to move around the three-point line, Bonke raced back down the floor and appeared to be completely exhausted.

He could barely muster the energy to move from the low post to the top of the key to set a screen. His body seemed to be telling him no, but his legs kept pushing him forward.

Bonke set the screen and rolled toward the basket, but he could barely get his arms up and missed the pass entirely from Jeremy Fears Jr.

On the defensive end, he then struggled to get his hands up in time to secure a routine rebound. That was all Izzo needed to see.

Izzo pulled Bonke for the second time, and this time, the decision appeared to be permanent.

Bonke didn't see the floor in the second half and finished the game with just six minutes of playing time.

Bonke finished the game 1-for-1 from the field, missed his lone free-throw attempt, recorded three rebounds (one offensive and two defensive) and committed one turnover.

Jesse McCullough looked much better, and even freshman Ethan Taylor appeared more poised on the floor.

I'm not sure exactly what was going on with Bonke. Perhaps there was an underlying illness or injury that we don't know about. It's difficult to draw any firm conclusions from one exhibition game.

However, to the naked eye, Bonke looked out of place and out of shape against UConn.

Michigan State needs Bonke to contribute in the frontcourt, especially after losing Cooper and Kohler. His size gives him the potential to be an important presence down low, but he will need to show more consistency, improve his conditioning and adjust to the defensive demands of Izzo's system.

The UConn exhibition was a concerning showing for the transfer center. The good news is that there is still time to turn things around before the games start counting.

For now, Bonke has some work to do if he wants to secure his place in Michigan State's rotation.