Jeremy Fears Jr. reveals Michigan State basketball breakout candidates

Michigan State basketball’s regular season is inching closer, and thankfully we’re in the middle of Moneyball to help us get through the offseason. Moneyball is an exciting time because we get our first look at the team and we who’s improved and who might be taking a big step next season.

But still as fans, we never know the whole story of what’s going on behind the scenes. Thankfully for us, Jeremy Fears Jr. recently shared who his breakout candidates are for Michigan State basketball this season in a recent interview.

In the interview above, Fears was asked about who he thinks will have a breakout year this season. Fears shared five individuals on the team, but let’s focus on the three that excite me the most.

Jaxon Kohler

“Obviously Jax. I think it wasn’t fair that he was kind of injured last year and really didn’t get to show Jax.”

I think every Michigan State fan shares this same sentiment about Jaxon Kohler. He was very unlucky to get injured right before the season started which then caused him to never reach his full potential.

But with a full offseason under his belt this summer, I am expecting big things from Kohler this season. And it sounds like Fears is too because Kohler was the first person he mentioned.

Xavier Booker

“Booker took a big step and a big stride from freshman to sophomore year. One year under his belt has really helped.”

Xavier Booker is probably the one player everyone wants to have a breakout season the most. We saw flashes of his potential last season, but lack of strength and defensive ability kept him off the court.

However, those things don’t seem to be an issue anymore, and Fears is one of many who seem very excited about what Booker will bring this season.

Szymon Zapala

“Big Szymon, the transfer, is nice, I like him. He can make the three, he can post, he does a little bit of everything. But he’s also really smart.”

Last but not least is transfer big man Szymon Zapala. He has a chance to make a huge impact on the center spot, a position that’s struggled for many years now.

According to Fears, it sounds like Zapala is ready for the jump to power conference basketball. He can score in the post as well as on the perimeter, something the other tradition centers on the team can’t do.

If Zapala can find some consistency in his game this season and figure it out defensively, he could be in for a lot of playing time this year.