What Tom Izzo had to say about upcoming game vs. former player Xavier Booker
· Yahoo Sports
A former Spartan will be returning to the Breslin Center on Tuesday, and Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo is hoping the Spartans fanbase greets him with cheers.
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UCLA forward Xavier Booker is making his first return to the Breslin Center on Tuesday since leaving via the transfer portal this past offseason. Booker -- who was a five-star prospect and one of the highest-rated players to ever sign with Izzo -- had a tough two seasons with the Spartans before electing to find a new home via the portal, and now comes back to Michigan State for Tuesday's matchup between the Spartans and Bruins.
On Monday, Izzo was asked about playing Booker for the first time since he left, and had only kind things to say about Booker.
"I hope our fans treat him with the respect he deserves," Izzo said during the media availability -- quote courtesy of Jim Comparoni of SpartanMag. "He was a great student. He never caused any problems. He always did his job. I hope our fans welcome him back.
"I really think a lot of him and wish I could have done a better job getting everything out of him. I pull for him every game but one."
In his first season with the Bruins, Booker has started 23 of 25 games played, averaging 7.2 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game --all three are career highs. He is also shooting above 40 percent from three-point range, which was something he had shown flashes of with the Spartans but never with this much consistency.
It was disappointing Booker never worked out with the Spartans, and like Izzo said, I hope things continue to go better for him with UCLA. Hopefully, Michigan State will be able to slow him down on Tuesday as the Spartans are in need of a victory badly right now.
Tom Izzo on Xavier Booker of UCLA returning to Breslin on Tuesday: "I hope our fans treat him with the respect he deserves. He was a great student. He never caused any problems. He always did his job. I hope our fans welcome him back. I really think a lot of him and wish I could…
— Jim Comparoni (@JimComparoni) February 16, 2026
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This article originally appeared on Spartans Wire: What Tom Izzo had to say about upcoming game vs. former player Xavier Booker