5-star Xavier Booker discusses Tom Izzo and Michigan State expectations

When Xavier Booker signed with Michigan State, he was the highest-rated recruit Tom Izzo has brought to East Lansing. The 6-foot-11 Booker maintains his five-star status, and Michigan State now has a top-five class coming in next season. 

Booker is part of a four-man class for the Spartans. He joins four-star SF Coen Carr (Legacy Early College/SC), four-star SF Gehrig Norman (Birdville High/TX), and four-star PG Jeremy Fears (East Joliet/IL) .

“(We will) definitely bring shooting,” Booker said. “We all bring versatility as well. Gehrig, myself, and Coen is versatile too. Then Fears, he’s a floor general; he looks for his teammates and is a great passer.”

There is a lot of hope for the Spartans heading into next year. The 2022-23 season ended with a run to the Sweet 16, led by many players who have elgibility remaining. When you stack a top-five class on top of that success, that creates a lot to look forward to. 

Booker’s rise

Over the past year or so, Xavier Booker rose from outside of the top 100 to a consensus five-star prospect. He has now signed to play for Hall of Fame coach Tom Izzo and elected to be a part of the 46th annual McDonald’s All-American game. 

“It’s been a blessing for sure (to be nationally known),” Booker said. “But I feel like I’ve earned it. I have put in the work to get where I am at. The biggest difference between my junior and senior years is confidence. I had a lot more confidence going into my senior year than I did my junior year.”

Booker started his rise up the rankings ladder because of his intrigue. He continues to intrigue with the combination of his size, length, and fluidity. Booker moves in a way many taller players simply cannot. He glides as he runs the court, effortlessly gets his elbow around the rim in transition, and he turns his hips and changes directions like a wing.

“I think a couple of the players I am similar to is definitely Anthony Davis,” Booker said. “I’ll watch a lot of his games and a lot of his highlights, and I definitely see the similarities there. I also watch a lot of Jaren Jackson; obviously, he went to Michigan State, too, and Tom Izzo compared me to him also, so I’ve been watching a lot of him.”

While Booker is excited about how far he has come, he knows there is still work to do. He has the tools; now it is just about applying them consistently on both ends of the floor. 

“Jaren Jackson is a shot blocker, and that is something I can definitely take from him going into next year, just being a good defender.”

Playing for Tom Izzo

“A lot of people see Tom Izzo yell on the court and stuff, but he’s a really good dude. I think he genuinely cares about his players and isn’t just trying to get you to his school; I think he cares about me as a person. The main thing he’s told me is to keep playing hard. I feel like he is a coach that is going to push me, and that is what I am going to need going to the next level.”

Booker’s On3 NIL Valuation

Xavier Booker’s On3 NIL Valuation is $436k. The 6-foot-11 center is the No. 13 player in the On3 High School basketball NIL Ranking.

The On3 NIL Valuation is the industry’s leading index that sets the standard market NIL value for high school and college athletes. A proprietary algorithm, the On3 NIL Valuation calculates an athlete’s NIL value using dynamic data points targeting three primary categories: performance, influence, and exposure.
About On3 NIL Valuation, Brand Value, Roster Value

While the algorithm includes deal data, it does not act as a tracker of the value of NIL deals athletes have completed to date, nor does it set an athlete’s NIL valuation for their entire career.

The On3 NIL Valuation accounts for an athlete’s roster value and brand value. Roster value is the value an athlete has by being a member of his or her team at his or her school, which factors into the role of NIL collectives. Brand value factors in an athlete’s personal brand and the value it could bring to regional and national brands outside of the scope of NIL collectives.