Michigan State's Jaxon Kohler Wants to be Moneyball Pro-Am Back-to-Back MVP

Michigan State men's basketball forward Jaxon Kohler is looking to defend his MVP title at the 2024 Moneyball Pro-Am.

Mar 23, 2024; Charlotte, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Jae'Lyn Withers (24) has his shot blocked by Michigan State Spartans forward Jaxon Kohler (0) at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports / Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

Week 1 of the 2024 Moneyball Pro-Am wrapped up on Thursday, and several Michigan State Spartans left fans ecstatic for what's in store for the rest of the summer session.

One of those Spartans was forward Jaxon Kohler, who thrives in the annual event. Kohler won MVP of the Moneyball Pro-Am last year and looks like he could be on his way to retaining the award this summer.

In fact, he's chasing it.

"Yeah, always," Kohler said with a smile after dropping 29 points for Team Tri-State Trust on Thursday. "Try to play every game the best I can and just work as hard as I can."

Kohler's outing on Thursday followed a solid opening-night performance on Tuesday as well when he scored 33 points.

The junior forward now has two seasons under his belt with the Spartans and will be looking to take on a more impactful role in the 2024-25 season. Kohler's success at the Moneyball Pro-Am is helping him get there.

"[I am learning] just to keep playing through adversity," he said. "Just when bad things happen, you find a way to get past it, and you keep working hard and never give up."

Kohler was anticipated to be a key piece in Coach Tom Izzo's rotation going into last season but wouldn't take the court until January after having foot surgery in October. He would average just 2.0 points per game and 2.0 rebounds in 21 games, averaging 9.3 minutes per game.

So far at the 2024 Moneyball Pro-Am, it's been clear that Kohler has been striving to improve his game as he prepares for his 2024-25 campaign.

"In the summer, you just have to work on, honestly, on everything," Kohler said. "I feel like I've always had the ability to shoot it; I just -- last year, I never really got comfortable with a shot in a game because I got thrown into the fire a little bit. But I've always had a shot, and this year, I'm looking forward to putting it out in the games a little bit more."

The 2024 Moneyball Pro-Am picks back up on Tuesday, July 9.

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