Michigan State Needs Jaxon Kohler to Find His Rhythm Again - and Soon
If you’ve followed Michigan State basketball during the Tom Izzo era, you know the script: a senior steps up, finds another gear, and becomes a defining presence down the stretch. We’ve seen it before - players blossoming late, turning into fan favorites, and anchoring deep tournament runs. This season, that player looked like it was going to be Jaxon Kohler.
And to be clear - it still can be.
Kohler came into his senior year having never averaged more than 7.8 points or 7.5 rebounds in a season. Solid numbers, but nothing that screamed breakout star.
That changed quickly. Through the first 17 games of the year, Kohler was playing the best basketball of his college career.
He was averaging 14.4 points and 10.1 boards per game, shooting a strong 52 percent from the floor, and even stretching the floor with a surprisingly efficient touch from deep - close to 50 percent from three.
He wasn’t just producing - he was impacting the game on both ends, energizing the Spartans with his physical presence inside and his improved offensive polish. Michigan State looked like a team built to make noise in March, and Kohler was a big reason why.
But lately, the engine’s been sputtering.
Since a road game at Washington, Kohler has hit a bit of a wall. Over the last eight games, his production has dipped - he’s averaging just 8.6 points and 7.6 rebounds, and his three-point shooting has cooled off dramatically, down to 23 percent. That’s a steep drop from the player we saw earlier in the season, and it’s had a ripple effect on the Spartans’ offense.
To be fair, this isn’t all on Kohler. Michigan State has gone 5-3 during this stretch, and there are other factors at play.
But when Kohler isn’t operating at full strength, you can feel it. The offense loses some of its rhythm.
The spacing tightens up. The ball doesn’t move quite as crisply.
He’s not just a big body in the paint - he’s a connector, a tone-setter, and when he’s in rhythm, the whole team benefits.
What’s missing right now isn’t effort - it’s confidence. Earlier in the season, Kohler was playing with a certain decisiveness.
He knew where his spots were, and he attacked them. Lately, that edge has dulled.
The shots aren’t falling the same way, and you can see him second-guessing at times. That’s natural during a slump, but for Michigan State to get back to its early-season form, they need Kohler to rediscover that belief in his game.
Because when he’s locked in, this team looks different - more balanced, more dangerous, more capable of making another deep March run.
There’s still time. Kohler has shown what he’s capable of. Now it’s about getting back to that level - finding his rhythm, trusting his shot, and playing with the same confidence that turned him into a breakout story earlier this year.
If he does, Michigan State’s ceiling goes right back to where it was: high.