MSU's Jaxon Kohler Lists Off Favorite Career Memories
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EAST LANSING, Mich. --- Jaxon Kohler is the prototypical example of how college basketball used to be.
As a four-star recruit from American Fork, Utah, Kohler chose Michigan State over plenty of other opportunities, including Iowa, USC, BYU, Illinois, Kansas, and others. He stuck it out over four seasons with the program, getting better each and every year.
Kohler has played quite a bit of basketball. When he takes the court against Rutgers for his final home game, it will be his 122nd career appearance and his 64th start (all of those have been in the last two seasons).
Those first three seasons at MSU have allowed Kohler to climb to this point. His senior year has been his best year, as he's averaging 12.4 points and 9.2 rebounds per game. He's developed a three-point shot, is as crafty in the post as any big man in the Big Ten, and is unabashedly one of the Spartans' most vocal leaders.
Watching someone steadily grow year-over-year is supposed to be what makes college sports fandom rewarding, and Kohler is an example of that that is getting more and more rare.
Jaxon Kohler Media Availability
Kohler's Favorite Games at the Breslin
Kohler has seen a lot of memorable moments during his four years at Michigan State. Those two years as an underclassman, where he was largely in a bench role when healthy, were two down years for MSU's standards. But since Kohler became a full-time starter last year, he's gotten to enjoy a 54-12 (.818) overall record, as well as a 31-7 (.816) mark during Big Ten regular season play.
That's one of the rewarding things about this year's senior class, particularly for Kohler and Carson Cooper: the program has improved as they have improved. For Kohler, two home games from this season have particularly stood out (one of them being a loss, actually).
"I would say Duke," Kohler said when asked about his favorite games he's played in at the Breslin Center. "Although we didn't have the outcome we wanted, I would say Duke is a memory-maker. I would say Illinois is a good one... There's a lot, man.
"It feels like what makes this place so great is that every game feels like a championship-caliber kind of game. Our teammates are so locked in and intense and our coaches are so intense, but also our fan base is so amazing with their energy and giving us support. It feels like every game is the same intensity level."
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A 2025 graduate from Michigan State University, Cotsonika brings a wealth of experience covering the Spartans from Rivals and On3 to his role as Michigan State Spartans Beat Writer on SI. At Michigan State, he was also a member of the world-renowned Spartan marching band for two seasons.
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