Why Jaxon Kohler Transfer Isn't Worst Thing for MSU

There should not be a world where too much star power is an issue, but in reality it is more common than some may think. Too many great players who need the ball in their hands and too many new players who want it can cause issues within a team that are hard to resolve.

But it wouldn’t seem like that would be something to worry about with MSU. After all, Tom Izzo did an excellent job building this season’s team to be the best that it can be, and there looked to be a great balance of stars and role players, with new players on the roster.

However, things could have shifted dramatically when it was announced that select players would have the chance to return to college basketball, and one of those players was Jaxon Kohler.

Kohler had been a massive star with MSU, but he decided to transfer out of East Lansing and take his talents to BYU. Some might have been disappointed by the decision, and it’s reasonable to say that the team's ceiling is worse because of it. But there’s also a world where things could have gone south, and while upsetting, Kohler’s departure might not be the worst thing for the team as a whole.

Why Kohler’s Departure Isn’t Awful

Mar 27, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; Michigan State Spartans forward Jaxon Kohler (0) grabs a rebound on UConn Huskies forward Tarris Reed Jr. (5) in the second half during a Sweet Sixteen game of the East Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

As stated earlier, there can be cases where too much star power comes to harm a team, and that could have been an issue for the Spartans, but more important than that is this: there simply wasn’t space on the team for Kohler to take.

It wasn’t a matter of who would take fewer shots game to game or who would have more minutes every game; it was a matter of who would be with the team and who would have to take a step back.

Izzo had the roster jam-packed, anticipating that Carson Cooper and Kohler would have no chance of returning. With no space on the roster, it would become an argument over who would make a sacrifice, which could hurt team chemistry.

But with Kohler transferring, that issue is no more. There won’t be chemistry issues from it, which would've had the potential to explode in the team’s face late in the season, and instead everything will progress as if nothing happened. The ceiling is still high, and while it could have been higher with Kohler, the floor is still just as high as it was.

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