Anton Bonke exits NBA Draft as MSU basketball waits on Jeremy Fears Jr.

Michigan State basketball coach Tom Izzo received positive news on May 27 when incoming transfer Anton Bonke withdrew from the NBA Draft, opting to return to college for the 2026-27 season. The 7-foot-2, 270-pound center, who played for Charlotte after stints at Providence and a junior college, averaged 10.6 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game last season. Later that day, star point guard Jeremy Fears Jr. also announced he would withdraw from the NBA Draft and return to Michigan State. Fears, a redshirt sophomore, earned All-America and All-Big Ten honors in 2025-26. At the NBA Combine in Chicago, he measured 6-foot and 196.2 pounds with a 6-foot-4 wingspan, showing potential in court vision and leadership during scrimmages but needing work on shooting and defense. Izzo had hinted at Fears’ return during the Mackinac Policy Conference on Mackinac Island, stating, 'We got most of our guards back. I think we’ll have all of them back.' However, the Spartans lost combo guard Divine Ugochukwu to the transfer portal, as he moved to LSU. Two incoming freshmen, Jasiah Jervis and Ethan Taylor, were selected for the USA Basketball Men’s U18 National Team on May 27. They will compete in the 2026 FIBA U18 Men’s AmeriCup from June 1-7 in Leon, Mexico, delaying Izzo’s ability to start working with his full roster. Jervis and Taylor will train in Colorado Springs until departing for the tournament. Michigan State’s summer sessions began on May 11, with the second session set to start on June 30. The team’s roster additions and departures will shape their preparation for the upcoming season.