Michigan State Basketball: What does Carson Cooper bring to the table?

Michigan State basketball picked up a “late bloomer” in 6-foot-11 big man Carson Cooper from IMG Academy in its 2022 class.

Although it’s not the transfer portal big man everyone was hoping for, Michigan State basketball added a 6-foot-11 center in the form of Carson Cooper on Sunday afternoon.

Cooper is part of the 2022 class so he’s a late addition and while his offer sheet isn’t the greatest, he’s been regarded as a late-bloomer.

He’s probably not going to contribute right away and may be a preferred walk-on next season as a freshman (reportedly already decided that he’s going to redshirt), he’s going to be an extra big body during practice and he’s going to continue to get better under Tom Izzo’s tutelage.

https://twitter.com/SpartanHoops_DK/status/1523347240630161408?s=20&t=PZ3bki0R166MEKyQdfNsxA

Michigan State impressed a lot of recruiting experts with this commitment as some called it “under the radar” and a sneaky-good pickup for Izzo.

Cooper is a pretty impressive athlete for his size and he can stretch the floor, scoring in the post and stepping out for a long-range jumper. He’s also not afraid to defend at the rim. He could be one of those surprise contributors in a couple of seasons and maybe he’ll be that next big in the green and white who goes from unknown to star.

Hopefully the Spartans keep an eye on the portal still for another big and push for one, but this is a good move for the future and he’s only going to help the current bigs in Mady Sissoko and Jaxon Kohler get better.

This is a good first step.