Kohler's Performance Highlights Need for MSU Big Man
The Michigan State Spartans have lacked a reliable center presence for the last few seasons.
Ever since Xavier Tillman left for the NBA, Tom Izzo has sought a center to hold down the middle of the paint, grab rebounds, body up opposing bigs, and defend the rim.
That has been a struggle, to say the least. The Spartans have rotated out big men since Tillman’s departure, never finding a consistent presence down low.
Marcus Bingham Jr.’s conditioning prevented him from playing big minutes, despite his immense talent. Julius Marble II was a solid scorer, but his defense was lacking. Mady Sissoko never put it all together as a high-level high school prospect. Carson Cooper has not taken the leap Izzo expected.
Michigan State never pushed too hard for a center in the transfer portal, believing in the talent it had on the roster. That strategy has not paid off for the Spartans, until now.
On Thursday night against Niagara, junior Jaxon Kohler had the best performance of his collegiate career. Kohler finished with 20 points and 13 rebounds in a dominant 36-point victory.
While it was against a far inferior opponent, it was refreshing to see a Michigan State center play good basketball. Not just good basketball, but great basketball.
Kohler came to Michigan State as an undersized big man who needed to add muscle and develop defensively. He had an elite post game with excellent footwork, but lacked in other areas.
As a freshman, Kohler showed flashes of the player he could become. He defended Indiana star Trayce Jackson-Davis well in a February game in 2023, also scoring four points and grabbing seven rebounds. Spartan fans got a glimpse at what could be their next great big man.
However, an offseason foot injury in 2023 prevented Kohler from continuing to develop. He missed 14 games in his sophomore season and could not use the games against non-conference opponents to work on his craft.
Naturally, Kohler looked rusty returning from that foot injury, limiting one of his best skill sets: his footwork. He could not finish layups the way he was used to and failed to play more minutes in the second half of the season.
After a fully healthy offseason, Izzo has raved about Kohler, calling him his best player all summer. Does Michigan State finally have the reliable big man presence they have lacked for years?
Kohler’s development and encouraging offseason will be put to the test on Tuesday against the Kansas Jayhawks in the Champions Classic, who feature two of the best big men in the country.
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