Jaxon Kohler gives BYU something it hasn’t had in Kevin Young’s time with the program: a center who can stretch the floor, bang inside, and rebound like a machine all in the same package.
Kohler committed to the Cougars earlier this week after four seasons at Michigan State, and his numbers last season show why this is such a big addition. He averaged 12.5 points and 8.9 rebounds while shooting 50% from the field and 39% from three.
For a college big, that’s a rare blend. He can score in the paint, work the midrange, and step out to the perimeter.
His shot diet tells the story. Last season, 45.5% of his field goal attempts came from three, a mark that ranked in the 77th percentile nationally.
Most of those looks came above the break, not from the corners. He still spent plenty of time doing damage inside, shooting 68.7% at the rim and 61.1% in the paint.
When he’s operating down low, the footwork and physicality show up. He can carve out space and finish through defenders.
The way Kohler’s game evolved at Michigan State is part of what makes him so interesting for BYU. As a junior, nearly 65% of his attempts came at the rim and in the paint.
By his senior year, that number had dropped to around 42% as he expanded farther beyond the arc. Only 25.3% of his attempts came at the rim.
That figure should climb in Provo, where he’s expected to spend more time at center and attack the basket more often.
Even with a lighter dose of midrange attempts, Kohler was efficient there too. He took 12.8% of his shots from that area last season and made 38.1%, which ranked in the 92nd percentile. Overall, he averaged 5.1 two-point attempts per game and 3.4 three-point attempts, a reminder that he’s comfortable as both a back-to-the-basket big and a stretch option.
The efficiency numbers back it up. Kohler posted a 61.9% true shooting percentage, which ranked in the 78th percentile, and a 58.8% effective field goal percentage, good for the 76th percentile.
That came with a 21.1% usage rate, a sign he was a real part of Michigan State’s offense. For comparison, Foussenyi Traore had a 22.5% usage rate in his final year at BYU, while Keba Keita’s usage rate last season was just 11.7%.
Kohler should have a much larger offensive role than Keita did.
He also handled top competition well. In 17 Quad 1 games last season, Kohler averaged 12.4 points and 8.3 rebounds while shooting 45.5% (80-176) from the field and 37.5% (30-80) from three. During Michigan State’s three NCAA Tournament games, he put up 11.3 points and 7.7 rebounds per contest.
One of the more surprising parts of his profile is what happens at the free throw line. Kohler shot 86.9% there last season, which ranked in the 97th percentile, but his free throw attempt rate was just 18.6%, a 10th percentile mark.
He went 53-61 at the stripe. Given how physical he is around the rim, that low rate stands out.
With BYU likely asking him to live closer to the basket more often, that number should rise. Either way, the Cougars know what they’re getting when he gets to the line.
Kohler’s passing is another piece that doesn’t always get enough attention. He had at least two assists in 15 games and three assists in four games last season.
In the post, he sees the floor well for his size and can kick out to shooters or find teammates cutting to the basket. He’s not a big who forces everything into the rim.
He reads the defense and makes the right play.
But the best part of his game is still the glass. Kohler ranked 37th nationally in rebounds per game, 21st in total rebounds, 17th in total defensive rebounds, and 43rd in total offensive rebounds.
He posted 12 double-doubles, tied for 28th-most in the country, and led the team in rebounds in 17 games, which ranked 25th nationally. He also had a 25% defensive rebounding percentage and a 12.8% offensive rebounding percentage, both elite numbers.
He grabbed a career-high 18 rebounds against San Jose State and had 14 games with double-digit boards, including three games with 15 or more rebounds.
Defensively, he’s physical and solid, but not a true anchor at the rim. He averaged 0.7 blocks last season. He isn’t built to chase every matchup across the floor, but he holds his own in the paint and should keep working in that area in Provo.
The on/off numbers at Michigan State are another loud endorsement. The Spartans had a net rating of 21.8 with Kohler on the floor and just 3.0 when he sat, an 18.8-point swing that ranked in the 95th percentile. Michigan State’s defensive rating improved by 11.3 points per 100 possessions with him out there, and its offensive rebounding rate jumped by nearly five points.
That kind of impact fits neatly with what BYU is building. Kevin Young has assembled a roster full of three-point shooters, and Kohler adds another layer by giving the Cougars perimeter options at every position. His shooting should open space for Rob Wright, Collin Chandler, and Bruce Branch to attack the lane, and he’ll likely see more clean looks from outside than he ever has before.
Young hasn’t had a center who could shoot from beyond the arc in his time with the program, so Kohler gives him something new to work with. At the same time, BYU will lean on him heavily for rebounding and post scoring. If he can also take another step as a rim protector, his role could grow even bigger.
With the roster nearly complete, Kohler stands out as one of the most productive and skilled bigs in college basketball. BYU just added a player who can change how the Cougars look on both ends.
In Other News...
BYU Is Getting National Hype Around A Key Big 12 Hope
Robert Wright III is starting to draw the kind of national attention that can change the conversation around BYU before the season even gets rolling. Sports Illustrateds Kevin Sweeney slotted the Cougars point guard at No. 4 on his list of the nations top point guards, a vote of confidence that points not just to Wrights skill, but to the role he could play in leading BYUs Big 12 push.
The bigger takeaway for BYU is how much this latest spotlight reinforces the sense that the program has real backcourt buzz. Sweeney also called Wright a candidate to lead the Big 12 in scoring, while several other Utah-connected names made the broader watch list, including BYUs Collin Chandler and Bruce Branch III, plus former Utah players Kanon Catchings and Keanu Dawes. For the Cougars, the early national chatter around Wright is the sort of sign that suggests expectations are rising fast. [Read more 🡒]
BYU Fans Have An Early Reason To Love This Incoming Class
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He was far from alone, either. Blake Wong, Uhila Wolfgramm, Moa Havili, Jaxson Rex, Jeremiah Williams, Peyton Higginson, Tytan DeJong, Kyle Babrotzky, Lakepa Satuala and Jag Ioane also turned in notable performances in their own games, a reminder that this class is not being built around one headline name. For BYU, the early returns are encouraging, even if the bigger question is how all of that prep success will translate once these commits are wearing Cougar blue. [Read more 🡒]
BYU Has A New Lineup Question After A Breakout Home Opener
Emma Hamberlin spent the preseason working at center back, but her first big moment of the year came far from the back line. The junior came off the bench and helped BYU womens soccer beat USC 2-0 in the home opener, scoring her first two collegiate goals and giving the Cougars the kind of spark that can change a roster conversation fast.
BYU did enough in a tight match, edging USC 12-11 in shots while Hamberlin made the most of her 45 minutes in the second half. For a team that still has more nonconference work ahead, the immediate question is how the Cougars balance a defenders training with the kind of attacking impact she just provided as they continue their homestand against Minnesota. [Read more 🡒]