Carson Cooper’s senior year left a lot of Michigan State fans wanting more. So many, in fact, that there was a large faction of the fanbase that was begging Tom Izzo to try and get him a fifth year.
The flames were fanned regarding those requests when Cooper appeared on the LockedOn Spartans podcast with Matt Sheehan and was asked if he’d even entertain the idea of a fifth year. He said he absolutely would and it was something that he had talked to the coaching staff about already.
This sent the fanbase into a frenzy because the Spartans were in need of a center, so why not bring back the guy who had already been in the system for four years and developed a strong relationship with Izzo and his teammates.
Plus, he had been progressing at an impressive rate in East Lansing.
As a freshman, he played minimally as a no-star B-team player from IMG Academy. He was one of those “diamonds in the rough” that we had to trust Izzo about. As a sophomore, he saw his minutes and production more than double. He improved slightly as a junior and then broke out as a senior. The progress he made even from his junior to senior season was insane.
And yet he’s still not getting the NBA draft love that he deserves.
Carson Cooper is an NBA big
Could Cooper afford to add a 3-point shot to his game? Absolutely and I think he’s capable but he could have used another year in East Lansing to develop that.
However, he has all the tools to be an NBA big man. He’s a 7-footer who shoots almost 60 percent from the floor, can make about 80 percent from the line, and he averaged 11.1 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game. The offense ran through him at the top of the key consistently and he was a plus passer for a big man and his athleticism set him apart.
Cooper is an elite fast-break big who can run great for his size and he’s also an elite lob threat. What NBA team wouldn’t want a 7-footer who has touch around the rim, can rebound, is a smart passer, and who runs the floor better than 90 percent of bigs.
I haven’t seen Cooper in any mock drafts and he’s only been on a few big boards but he deserves to be a legit NBA draft option given his skill set.
Give the man his respect.
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