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Michigan State losing former 5-star prospect Xavier Booker to portal, per report
By Paul Harvey
Published:
Michigan State is coming off its best season since 2019. However, the Spartans are now dealing with some departures to the transfer portal after being eliminated from the NCAA Tournament.
Over the weekend, Tom Izzo’s group fell to Auburn in the Elite Eight. It was Izzo’s first-ever loss to an SEC team in the Big Dance, and now the legendary head coach will turn his attention to building out the roster for next season.
On Tuesday, it began with the news that guard Tre Holloman was entering the transfer portal. A part-time starter this past season, the junior was often in the role of 6th man for Michigan State after Jase Richardson entered the starting lineup.
Now, former 5-star forward Xavier Booker is reportedly following Holloman to the portal. Coming out of high school, Booker was one of the highest-rated recruits of Izzo’s tenure as the No. 14 overall player nationally per the 247 Sports Composite, but he struggled to make a big impact during two seasons in East Lansing.
Michigan State big man Xavier Booker has gone portaling, source told @TheFieldOf68.
Was highly ranked (No. 11 per 247 Sports) coming out of high school, but averaged 4.7 points and 2.2 boards and didn't play since the opening round tourney win over Bryant.
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) April 1, 2025
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As a freshman, Booker appeared in 27 games (2 starts) but averaged just over 9 minutes per game while shooting 43.9% from the floor and 33% from 3-point range. Booker usage increased slightly as a sophomore with 33 appearances and almost 13 minutes per game, but his shooting dipped drastically to just 23% from 3-point range.
Fellow big men Jaxon Kohler and Carson Cooper were both utilized more regularly than Booker and have an opportunity to come back for the 2025-26 season.
It is bound to be an interesting offseason for the Spartans with some veterans moving on and the chance for star freshman Jase Richardson to leave early for the NBA Draft. We’ll wait to see what his final decision is, but Izzo and his staff will face some challenges in the offseason.
Paul is a lifelong fan and student of all things college football. He has been covering college football since 2017 and the B1G since 2018.