Jaxon Kohler Eyeing College Basketball Return, But It Might Not Be With Michigan State

There’s a battle breaking out across college sports, and college basketball teams are caught in the crossfire.

Friday afternoon, a U.S. District Court judge in Colorado granted a fifth year of eligibility to the entire 2022 recruiting class if those athletes had already exhausted their four years of NCAA eligibility.

The ruling comes as the NCAA prepares to implement its new “5-in-5” rule, which allows athletes who graduated high school in 2023 and beyond to compete for five seasons within a five-year window. The change was designed to eliminate the growing number of athletes seeking six or even seven years of eligibility.

On the surface, it sounds like a step in the right direction toward bringing some order to the ever-changing landscape of college athletics.

Then, on Saturday, the NCAA fired back.

In a statement, the NCAA called the ruling “egregiously wrong,” saying:

“The court’s decision to certify a nationwide class and grant sweeping injunctive relief with virtually no evidence, and without witness testimony or even so much as a hearing, invites further chaos in college sports and irreparably harms thousands of student-athletes already on campus.”

In other words, this situation is far from over.

While the legal battle continues, student-athletes across multiple sports have already started exploring returns to college athletics through the transfer portal.

One name Michigan State fans have been watching closely is former Spartan forward Jaxon Kohler.

Kohler finished last season averaging 12.5 points per game while leading Michigan State with 8.9 rebounds per contest. After appearing in a handful of NBA Summer League games with the Utah Jazz, Kohler is now reportedly considering one final season of college basketball.

According to a social media post from Jon Rothstein, Kohler is “exploring a return to college sports for a fifth year and is receiving interest from Kansas, Kentucky and BYU. A return to East Lansing is also possible.”

For many Spartan fans, that isn’t exactly what they wanted to hear.

Kohler was one of the biggest reasons for Michigan State’s success last season, and adding a player of his caliber back to the roster would only improve the Spartans’ chances of competing for a national championship.

At first glance, bringing him back feels like a no-brainer.

The problem is that Michigan State’s roster is already full.

The Spartans have already begun team practices, and many of the veterans and newcomers recently wrapped up the Moneyball Pro-Am, where they showcased just how talented this year’s roster could be.

That raises an interesting question.

Would Tom Izzo really consider moving on from someone like Jesse McCullough? The lone three-star recruit on Michigan State’s roster has done everything the coaching staff has asked, showing up every day, working hard and trying to earn Izzo’s trust.

Moving on from a player like that would seemingly go against everything Tom Izzo has built his program around.

Then again, Kohler also embodies everything Izzo values in a player.

Other programs clearly recognize Kohler’s value and appear willing to create room on already full rosters if it means adding one of the top available players.

There is still plenty left to unfold with the NCAA’s eligibility battle, but the movement has already begun. Former Spartan Tre Holloman has reportedly entered the transfer portal again, and Kohler could soon be joining a growing list of athletes exploring a return to college athletics.

The next few weeks could reshape rosters across the country.

Football players, basketball players, hockey players, baseball players and athletes from nearly every NCAA sport could suddenly find themselves back on college campuses.

The Wild West of college athletics just became even more lawless.

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