5-star power forward Xavier Booker commits to Michigan State
Class of 2023 five-star prospect Xavier Booker has committed to Michigan State, he tells On3.
The 6-foot-10 power forward out of Indianapolis (Ind.) Cathedral ultimately chose the Spartans over Indiana, Purdue, Notre Dame, Ohio State, and Cincinnati. He also received offers from Michigan, Auburn, Gonzaga, Oregon, Duke, and others.
Booker currently sits as the No. 6 overall player in On3’s 2023 class. For reference, former Spartan Jaren Jackson ranked 9th nationally in the class of 2017, according to the On3 Consensus.
The five-star big man joins four-star point guard Jeremy Fears. The Spartans are also in the mix for four-star recruits Coen Carr, Devin Royal, Gehrig Normand, Braelon Green, and others.
Michigan State never wavered in recruiting Booker
Michigan State continuously recruited Booker, through the good times and bad, and that made the difference for him in the end.
“Since the day (Michigan State) offered me, they’ve been consistent in recruiting me,” Booker said. “They never gave up on me. They’ve been to some of my best games and some of the worst. Michigan State wasn’t one of the schools to back off. A lot of the schools did that. A lot of the schools just backed away and I didn’t hear from them. Then I’d from here from them a couple of months later when I was playing well again. When I played badly, Michigan State was the only school to contact me afterward and see how I’m feeling, giving me constructive criticism. I know they believe in me. They don’t just want me just for the program, but they actually care about me as a person and I really believe that. I want to surround myself with more people like that.”
The relationship with Tom Izzo was key
Booker’s relationship with head coach Tom Izzo and assistant coach Mark Montgomery further solidified his decision.
“The main thing that stands out to me about Michigan State is my relationship with coach (Tom) Izzo and coach (Mark) Montgomery. I have a really good relationship with Izzo. I trust him to be my coach and to guide me all the way to the next level.”
The academics and playing style contributed to Booker’s decision
“I really like the campus, facilities, and academics,” Booker continued. “I’m looking to possibly study Sports Broadcasting. On my official visit, we actually went to the Sports Broadcasting facility and we were able to learn insight about it and I really enjoyed it. I really feel like I can thrive in that and it’s definitely going to be something that’s new for me but I feel like that it’ll really help me. That’s what I want to do in my career path once the basketball.”
Michigan State will allow Booker to play the brand of basketball that allows him to show off his versatility and talent.
“Michigan State’s playing style, I can really see myself fitting into it. They let their bigs rock out, handle the ball and shoot. They don’t limit them to certain things and they just let them play off their strengths. My strengths are shooting, dribbling the ball, creating for myself and creating for my teammates and doing whatever it takes to help the team win. They won’t limit me. They compare me to Jaren Jackson Jr., which is an amazing comparison because we’re both similar in our own ways, while being different as well.”
Scouting Summary
Xavier Booker is a lengthy lefty who just moves in a way most his size does not. He has a lot of pop in his step and fluidity in his movements. While he is a more perimeter-based big right now, you see the ability to alter shots and the rim and rebound in traffic. He will need to get stronger and maybe pay more attention to the rebounding, but there is upside as a switchable type defender. Xavier Booker is a good spot shooter with consistent three-point range. He can push the break and has counters when he gets cut off, but he will need to work on not getting too deep with the ball. He runs the floor well. Strength will be a bit thing, will help with his stamina. There is immense upside here. – On3’s Jamie Shaw, National Recruiting Analyst