Michigan State center Jaxon Kohler wants to flip the narrative with breakout sophomore season

East Lansing, Mich. – Michigan State sophomore Jaxon Kohler wants to prove naysayers wrong as a second-year player for Tom Izzo’s basketball program. He is well aware of what has been said about his shortcomings as a basketball player on social media, and is determined to write his own narrative.

Following his freshman season, Kohler knew there was work for him to do to maximize his contribution at the center position as a sophomore on a team with championship aspirations. In his effort to address weaknesses, Kohler has used the criticism from others as fuel for improvement.

“I would just see some stuff on there saying that I’m a liability defensively, or I’m not tough enough and don’t belong in the Big Ten,” said Kohler at Spartan basketball media day, referencing social media criticism that has given him a chip on his shoulder.

Noting those criticisms, Kohler set goals for self improvement at the start of the off-season. Developing into a reliable post defender was at the top of his to-do list.

“I wrote down those things,” said Kohler, “and every morning I woke up since our season ended last year, I went to the mirror and asked myself, ‘how are you going to get better at post defense today’? ‘How are you going to get stronger today?’”

Reshaping his body was non-negotiable, as Kohler knew hard work in the weight room could help him hold his own against talented and physical big men both in and out of conference play.

“Everyone knows how tough it is in the Big Ten with how good of forwards/centers we always have and I need to be able to do my job defensively so I can see the court more,” he said.

Michigan State returns most of its roster from last season, including 75% of its minutes played and scoring from last season. The Spartans also welcomed in a four-man recruiting class ranked No. 6 in the country according to the On3 Consensus 2023 rankings.

“We all make each other better and feed off of each other on and off the court,” Kohler said. “I’ve known Mady (Sissoko) since I was 14, so it’s nice to have that and being able to learn from Malik (Hall) is just incredible. We have so many pieces on this team and so many guys that do really good things so I’m just excited to see it all flow together like it does in practice once games start up.”

Watching former Spartan Joey Hauser (Utah Jazz) make a dramatic improvement between his junior and senior seasons for Michigan State served as inspiration for Kohler. As a senior, Hauser improved in nearly every statistical category. He also improved as a defender, while starting 31 games and leading the team in minutes played.

“It was pretty cool seeing Joey make that jump and improve his game,” Kohler said. “I learned quite a bit from him playing the same position and everything. The way he goes about his business, to showing me different moves on the court.”

While seeing Hauser change his own narrative was inspiring, it’s Jaxon vs. Jaxon for Kohler.

“I don’t want to be Joey Hauser, I want to be Jaxon Kohler and every day it’s just being the best Jaxon Kohler that I can be,” he said.

Kohler is expected to play both the four and the five positions for Michigan State this season while coming off of the bench. He possesses an above-average mid-range shot, and the ability to stretch the court while also remaining active on the glass.

Kohler’s use at the four will likely be situational. Against teams that with four guards and big, for instance, it will be difficult for Kohler to match-up defensively even though he has improved his foot quickness on defense. Against teams with big front lines, however, don’t be surprised if Kohler can give Michigan State solid minutes at the four with either Mady Sissoko or Carson Cooper at the five.

Kohler’s improved strength should also help him get more production out of a well-developed back-to-the-basket game. As a freshman, Kohler showed glimpses of high-level skill in the paint. A lack of strength, however, prevented him from scoring as efficiently as he would like. Expect that to change this season.

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