Before the Madness: Michigan State players open up about what must improve in March

With recent road wins over Purdue and Indiana, the Michigan State men's basketball team has shown its ability to win away from East Lansing against high-level opponents in historically hostile environments

Following Michigan State's 66-60 win over Ohio State on Feb. 22, and just before the matchups with Purdue and Indiana that resulted in victories for MSU, some of the Spartans provided insight into what they felt they each needed to improve about their individual performances to ensure they continue playing their best basketball heading into tournament time.

Using those insights, let's take a look to see if what each player pinpointed was initiated to help secure both of those recent notches in the win column for MSU.

Jaxon Kohler

Throughout the season, Kohler has been a stedfast presence for the Spartans. He provides necessary points under the basket and has improved his game this year from beyond the arc. Kohler is the definition of what a senior leader should be, and someone the Spartans will lean on as games become one-and-done in tournament play.

"I think the most important thing is to be the most important captain I can be and try to bring everybody to their best standards," Kohler shared. "Lift people up to their best standards. We need everybody at their best to accomplish the goals we have."

In Michigan State's matchup against Ohio State, Kohler struggled with foul trouble early, ending the game with only 15 minutes on the court. Kohler shared he felt it was difficult to lead the way he typically can when much of his game was spent on the bench. To contrast that performance to Michigan State's win over Indiana, Kohler played 36 minutes, netted 21 points, and grabbed 13 rebounds.

Kohler's leadership is not just seen on his stat line, but can be felt with his presence on the court in various ways. He also makes a large impact in the locker room.

Photo Credit: Marvin Hall / Spartans Illustrated

Kur Teng