Jaxon Kohler puts on a show with monster Moneyball performance

Jaxon Kohler wowed the crowd with a massive performance at Moneyball on Tuesday night. He dropped 53 points.

We know, we know, it’s just Moneyball.

Jaxon Kohler put up an incredible 53-point, 18-rebound stat line Tuesday night.

pic.twitter.com/E1wboKL2QX

— Jaxon Kohler (@jaxonkohler) July 12, 2023

While the competition wasn’t exactly the level that Kohler will see in the Big Ten, a stat line like that is eye-popping regardless. For reference, the primary defender tasked with guarding Kohler Tuesday night was Michigan State freshman and five-star prospect Xavier Booker.

The highlights from Tuesday night’s game looked similar to Kohler’s dominant performance of 53 points, 23 rebounds at the Championship of Pangos All-American Festival in August 2021. It was performances like this that positioned Kohler to receive hype from NBA players such as LeBron James.

Below, you can see a highlight reel from Tuesday night’s performance:

It’s evident the long days in the gym are paying off. Kohler was recently seen practicing with former Michigan State and current NBA player Bryn Forbes. He’s dedicated time to improving his conditioning and expanding his repertoire. Kohler looks noticeably leaner and moving around the court more easily.

The highlight reel shows what he’s capable of. We saw everything from three point shooting, improved post moves, rebounding, and even bringing the ball coast to coast to score a basket after securing a rebound on the defensive end.

The center position has been the weak spot for Michigan State the last couple of seasons. With Kohler showing a clear dedication to improving his game, fans can expect him to go to the next level this season. It’s also been noted that Mady Sissoko and Carson Cooper have improved their conditioning as well this offseason.

Tom Izzo will enter this season with an embarrassment of riches on his roster. It will allow him to get more creative with lineups than he’s been able to be in years. We’ll see Jaxon at the four position but I’m willing to bet we’ll see more minutes with him at the four as well. This would allow him to incorporate more of his midrange and outside game that we keep seeing glimpses of this offseason. Having a big that can stretch the floor is a great advantage.

The likely won’t be the last big game we see from Kohler this summer. The future is bright for MSU basketball.