Kohler Shares Emotions on Time at MSU Following UConn Loss
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No moment has ever felt too small for a classic Jaxon Kohler yell.
Usually, big men are some of the more timid players on the court, personality-wise. That didn't apply to Kohler. Michigan State's own "psycho" never went one game without letting out at least a handful of huge screams. He'd do it whenever he was introduced as a starter, and basically anytime anything went MSU's way during the game.
Kohler's presence on the floor will be sorely missed in the future. He didn't just bring energy to the lineup, but also loyalty to the Spartan program. Four-year seniors are becoming rarer by the year, but Kohler was somebody for Michigan State to lean on, continuing to improve each year. Kohler ended up averaging 12.5 points and 8.9 rebounds per game as a senior.
"I'm just overwhelmed with gratitude," Kohler said after MSU's 67-63 loss to UConn that ended his collegiate career. "And as this comes to a close, I am just blessed and grateful for every moment I had with these guys, with these coaches, and with you guys [in the media], and everything about being a Spartan. I feel like it hasn't even hit full effect yet, and I'm going to be a wreck for that."
Video of Kohler Postgame
More on Kohler's Time at MSU
Sticking around for all four years was a pretty intentional decision for Kohler. He went to several different high schools and bounced around a bit. That's not what he wanted out of his college career.
"I went to four different high schools in four different years, and I never had a chance to kind of stay in one place and build relationships for more than a year," Kohler said. "With this group, I've felt closer to these guys more than anybody. We've been through some great highs and some terrible lows together."
Kohler Brought Tournament Success
Kohler was a major part of Michigan State's re-establishment as an upper-tier Big Ten program. Sure, the lack of a Final Four banner post-COVID is frustrating, but the randomness of March Madness does that sometimes. Both this year's team and last year's squad drew the No. 1 overall seed's region, and UConn is still a program that can go pound-for-pound with anyone.
Getting a 2-seed and a 3-seed in back-to-back seasons didn't seem super realistic recently. After Kohler's injury-shortened sophomore year, MSU had gotten a 7-seed or worse in four straight tournaments, the first such streak of the Tom Izzo era. These two seasons with Kohler as a starter have been the best since the pandemic, and they deserve a tip of the cap in his direction.
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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