East Lansing, Mich. – Former Michigan State forward Xavier Booker received a warm reception upon his return to the Breslin Center on Tuesday night as a member of the UCLA Bruins, a display of sportsmanship noted by both players and coaches.
Michigan State defeated UCLA 82-59, but the evening held significance beyond the score for Booker, who played for the Spartans for two seasons before transferring to UCLA. Booker spoke with WILX’s Owen Oszust about the experience, expressing his appreciation for the welcome he received from the Michigan State fanbase. “The emotions, they were definitely there, especially sharing all the memories I had here,” Booker said, adding that he valued the relationships he built with his former teammates. “Especially with my teammates and the relationships I built. It definitely felt good to be back out there again, especially feeling the love from the fans, too.”
Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo acknowledged the positive atmosphere created by the fans, stating he had encouraged a respectful response to Booker’s return. “I thought our fans and our student section did a great job,” Izzo said, according to reporting by SI.com. “Sometimes, when a player comes back, they’re real jerks. I tried to set it out there that I didn’t want that, and our people did a phenomenal, phenomenal job of that.” Izzo emphasized the amicable nature of Booker’s departure, contrasting it with what he described as increasingly common instances of “poaching and tampering” in college basketball. He noted Booker’s family’s involvement in the transfer process and the professional manner in which UCLA head coach Mick Cronin handled the situation.
Current Michigan State players also reflected on their relationship with Booker. Carson Cooper and Jeremy Fears both spoke about their memories with Booker, recalling his contribution to the team’s Big Ten championship run last year, according to SpartansWire.
The return marked a notable moment in a season where Michigan State’s women’s basketball team also recently achieved a significant victory, defeating Northwestern 104-68 on Wednesday night, with Grace VanSlooten scoring 22 points. The men’s team’s win over UCLA followed a period of reflection for Izzo, who recently spoke with WILX about his long-standing friendship with Steve Mariucci.
