Team Tri-Star and Michigan State's Carson Cooper scores against Team SPS during the Moneyball Pro-Am on Thursday, June 26, 2025, at Holt High School. Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

What's Different for MSU's Carson Cooper Heading into Year 4

Originally posted on Michigan State Spartans on SI
By Aidan Champion | Last updated Aug 4, 2025 1:16 PM ET

A big 2025-26 season awaits Michigan State senior center Carson Cooper.

One of the more overlooked assets on this squad, Cooper is anticipated to be the Spartans' starting center after taking a significant step forward last season. It isn't said enough just how vital he was to the Spartans' Elite Eight run, as Cooper's defense and rebounding made the difference at times, especially down the stretch.

Last offseason, Tom Izzo and his staff wanted size down low and went out and added Szymon Zapala from the transfer portal. He would start all but one game, with Cooper serving as his "backup," though he did ultimately see more minutes than the transfer and was on the floor for key moments when the game was in the balance.

Now, Cooper heads into his senior campaign, and that means even more responsibility. And while it can be a lot to ask, there's comfort in knowing you're the guy the coaching staff wants to rely on.

"I trust coaches, and I know that the coaches trust me to come out here and do something for a reason," Cooper said after winning the 2025 Moneyball Pro-Am Championship last week. "They easily could have gone out and got a transfer here and there if they didn't believe in the guys that we got. So, that speaks volumes; that speaks volumes (to) who coaches and the trust they have in my development and the impact that I can have next year.

"I think that the team that we've got -- we've got a lot of new guys, but guys that are mature enough to lock in and understand our new basketball play style."

Cooper has one final year to accomplish everything he hoped to at Michigan State, and it would seem he's on the right track this offseason.

"I think the overall confidence and just the freedom of coming to practice is something I haven't felt in the past," he said. "I feel energized, I feel like I have a good role as a leader and someone who can help the young guys, help the new guys."

So what does "freedom of coming to practice" mean?

"Just coming in, I know what my standards are, and I know that I have more freedom to do certain things now," Cooper said. "There's only so many things coaches say to me now, it's kind of -- four-year guy, veteran who's kind of been here, has a lot of experience, and so, I've kind of understood that. And I'm not going to take advantage of it, obviously, but use it to my advantage and hopefully play better."

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