Mar 27, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; Michigan State Spartans head coach Tom Izzo reacts in the first half during a Sweet Sixteen game of the East Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images Amber Searls-Imagn Images

MSU in Mix for Starting Portal Center From Tournament Team

Originally posted on Michigan State Spartans on SI
By Jacob Cotsonika | Last updated Apr 11, 2026 11:00 AM ET

The list of targets for Michigan State basketball in the transfer portal is getting a bit clearer.

Another new name is SMU transfer center Samet Yigitoglu.

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Yigitoglu is ranked 35th overall among those in the transfer portal and seventh among centers in On3's rankings. He's 34th overall and also seventh among centers at 247Sports.

He's started all 66 of his collegiate games that he's appeared in for SMU. This season, he averaged 10.7 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game, helping the Mustangs reach the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2017.

MSU's Center Situation

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Yigitoglu isn't the first transfer portal center that Michigan State has been linked to. The biggest name thus far has been Alabama transfer Aiden Sherrell, a former five-star from Detroit who MSU recruited coming out of high school. There was also a report on Friday that MSU had reached out to New Mexico transfer Tomislav Buljan.

The center position is where all of the focus has been this transfer portal season. The Spartans are one of the few programs out there that haven't lost a player to the transfer portal -- and while superstar point guard Jeremy Fears Jr. did enter the NBA Draft on Friday, chances are that he'll withdraw and come back to Michigan State.

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Assuming Fears returns and the roster status quo is maintained, there will be only one open slot for a transfer portal addition due to the 15-player roster limit. With Jesse McCulloch, someone who was out of the playing group this March, and Ethan Taylor, a freshman on the more raw side, as the only centers available, a proven, starting-caliber guy is needed for MSU to truly contend at the top of the Big 10 next season.

Yigitoglu would be one of those guys. From Istanbul, Turkey, he'll have two more years of eligibility left, as he turned 22 years old this March.

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Yigitoglu Is Intriguing

There are some concerns with Yigitoglu, though. He's not a remote threat to shoot, which can cause some spacing problems. Plus, he's a 53.1% career free-throw shooter. No prospect will be perfect, though, there's still plenty to like.

The height at 7-foot-2 is still pretty intriguing, and Yigitoglu is used to playing heavy minutes at the high-major level, averaging 28.9 minutes per game this season. He also shot 62.8% from the field in 2025-26, indicating some good touch around the rim.