Tom Izzo Hints Return to MSU for Jaxon Kohler Unlikely

Michigan State's roster for the 2026-27 season is probably completely set, even with some potential opportunity out there to add on.

Outgoing senior Jaxon Kohler is exploring a return to college basketball after a recent court decision made him and plenty of other high school class of 2022 players eligible for NCAA competition again under the new "5-in-5" system. The NCAA is going to appeal, but college sports' governing body only seems to be losing more and more power.

Why Kohler May Play Elsewhere

Michigan State's Jaxon Kohler looks on during a game against North Dakota State during the first round of the NCAA Tournament at the KeyBank Center on Thursday, March 19, 2026. | Starr Portice, Michigan State Spartans on SI

MSU head coach Tom Izzo appeared on Jon Rothstein's "Inside College Basketball Now" podcast on Tuesday to talk about his team and also the recent situation involving the 5-in-5 rule. He didn't bring up Kohler by name, but if the Spartans were going to add anyone this late into the offseason, it would be Kohler. That doesn't seem like it's going to happen, though.

Michigan State's Tom Izzo shouts instructions out during a game against Michigan at the Breslin Center on Friday, Jan. 30, 2026. | Starr Portice, Michigan State Spartans on SI

“The five-year [rule], letting them back in, it would’ve been OK in April," Izzo said. "If that’s what we were doing before you go recruit other kids… and now, we wait until August and we do something like that, there’s going to be kids leaving campus next week thinking that they’ve got their team together, and they’re going to come back in two weeks from their little mini-break before school starts, and they might have two new teammates.

“And shazam, some of them might be at the position they’re at, and we’re going to blame the kids? No, no, no, no, no. The stupidity in the way we’ve handled things is ridiculous. We gave advice as coaches, but we know that doesn’t fare well. The advice was if we’re going to make a decision to give them a fifth year, let’s do it in April, and then you wouldn’t recruit guys. Now, I’ve recruited guys for those positions. I can’t bring another guy in, but a lot of [other teams] will.”

Where Kohler Could Land

Mar 19, 2026; Buffalo, NY, USA; Michigan State Spartans forward Jaxon Kohler (0) reacts to a play during the first half against the North Dakota State Bison during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Keybank Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

If he truly hits the open market, Kohler would be one of the most sought-after players re-entering college basketball in the wake of this court ruling. He averaged 12.5 points and 8.9 rebounds per game last season while shooting 39% from three at MSU last season, becoming one of the nation's better stretch fours.

Rothstein reported this past Saturday that Kohler was receiving interest from BYU, Kansas, and Kentucky. He also said a return to East Lansing was "possible," but Izzo's words seem to conflict with that a bit.

BYU, being so close to Kohler's hometown of American Fork, Utah, has been a rumored destination for a while, but Kentucky has seemed to come on strong in the last few days. Mark Pope, the Wildcats' head coach, actually tried recruiting Kohler to BYU back when he was in high school.

Overall, it just doesn't seem wise to get one's hopes up about a fifth season for Kohler in East Lansing right now. Whether Kohler comes back or not, Michigan State is still going to be a preseason top-10 team with deservedly high expectations.

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