Xavier Booker will start in place of Mady Sissoko vs. Ohio State

Xavier Booker will start in place of Mady Sissoko on Sunday afternoon against Ohio State, according to Tom Izzo.

Folks, the day is finally here. The Xavier Booker era of Michigan State hoops is about to begin.

According to Tom Izzo on his pregame radio show, Booker is going to start for the first time in his Michigan State career, replacing Mady Sissoko in the opening lineup.

Xavier Booker will start at center today vs. Ohio State, Tom Izzo says on his pregame radio show

— Kyle Austin (@kylebaustin) February 25, 2024

This may not seem like a huge deal, but Booker had been getting the fourth-most run at center this season behind Sissoko, Carson Cooper, and Jaxon Kohler. And now it looks like Izzo is pleased enough with him to insert him in that starting lineup. This is something that no one saw coming but it’s great for the ceiling of the starting lineup. Sissoko definitely limited what the offense could do and now that Booker is in there, he can stretch the floor and allow the guards to drive the lane a little easier.

Plus, Booker has a decent offensive game, even in the post.

Earlier this week, Booker spoke to the media and said that he and Izzo are on the same page and that he’s pleased with his development and progress. He has gained nearly 20 pounds and looks like a guy who can give the Spartans 10-15 legit minutes down low.

We may not see him play quite that much on Sunday afternoon, but the fact that he’s starting should mean that his playing time should at least increase from the 5-7 minutes he normally gets. Fans will take anything they can get, even if that’s 10 minutes on the dot.

Booker has all the potential in the world to become one of the best young bigs in the country, he just needed to add some muscle and it sounds like he’s done that. We’ll see just how ready he is for the spotlight on Sunday.