Michigan State center Jaxon Kohler dominates in 53-point Moneyball Pro-Am performance
Holt, Mich. – As a sophomore who fully understands how difficult it is to make the transition from high school to Michigan State, center Jaxon Kohler has made himself available as a resource for each of the four freshmen in the Spartan basketball program.
On Tuesday evening at the Moneyball Pro-Am, however, Kohler was highly motivated in a match-up that pitted him himself and Team Snipback against Michigan State teammate Xavier Booker and Team Faygo. Booker, a McDonald’s All-American and highest ranked player in a Top 5 recruiting class, got the worst of the match-up as Kohler went off for 53 points and 26 rebounds in a 113-103 victory.
“He is going to be a great player, and I can’t wait to see what he grows into,” said Kohler of his freshman counterpart afterward. “I just want to help him the best I can. I went to be that guy to help him through the struggles of being a freshman. I had Mady (Sissoko) and Carson Cooper who helped me with that hard journey, so I know what that is like. I want to be that guy for X.”
Being supportive of Booker, however, does not mean easing up on the talented freshman. Kohler made that perfectly clear from the get-go against Team Faygo, as he scored 15 early points for Team Snipback. Most of those points were scored against Booker.
“I don’t see any games as casual,” Kohler said. “I feel like basketball is the most fun when everyone gives their hardest. I had the most fun when me and AJ (Hoggard) were talking a little bit and it got competitive. That’s when basketball is at it’s best for everyone.”
Kohler scored 31 points in the first half and 22 points after the five-minute halftime. The scoring display put on by Kohler was impressive enough without the fact that the Michigan State sophomore did what he did while playing every minute of the game.
“I feel like a different person,” Kohler said. “I feel like I can move differently and do things that I wasn’t able to last year. That doesn’t mean I get to stop or get comfortable. This was just a good night. All that matters is what I do tomorrow.”
Without significant gains in conditioning from last season to this Kohler could not have played as many minutes as he did at an up-and-down pace on the same day that Michigan State players participated in a lifting session.
“That is what the summer was all about, trying to do things that I knew I couldn’t do last year, trying to push myself in ways that I didn’t think I could be pushed,” Kohler said.
Kohler is no stranger to success in the Moneyball Pro-Am. Last summer, he was one of the most consistent performers at an event where centers with high-major talent are scarce beyond the scholarship players from Michigan State participating in the games. As a freshman, Kohler didn’t need the strength and conditioning gains he has made between last season and this to reliably log double doubles in Moneyball Pro-Am games.
Reshaping his body and adding lean muscle, however, has made it possible for Kohler to play at a higher level for a longer period of time. That should make Kohler more effective on both ends of the floor when he matches up against Power 5 competition during the upcoming college basketball season for Michigan State.
“Footwork is something that I tried to work on last year as well, and now I am trying to add strength,” Kohler said. “Last year, I wasn’t ready for the physicality, but that was what the summer was all about, trying to execute my moves on balance while maintaining strength. It’s all about confidence, you’ve got to believe in what you put work into. I worked my butt on being able to do things that I wasn’t able to do last year.”
Kohler averaged 3.0 points and 2.9 rebounds while playing an average of 10.6 minutes per game as a freshman at Michigan State last season. Although he flashed high-level skill in several games, lack of foot quickness and strength prevented Kohler from making the type of impact he envisioned for himself as a first-year player in college.
Having made significant improvements in conditioning and strength during the off-season, Kohler is now much more capable of providing Michigan State with a reliable interior scoring presence, and doing so without being a serious liability on defense.
Improved strength and quickness has also made Kohler more effective as a rebounder.
“I think it helps a lot with rebounding, getting boards,” Kohler said. “I think that is a huge part of the game that I have to continue to grow and get better at. Like I said, I’ve got to keep working and keep getting better.”
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