Having friendly faces, or even people who have spent their playing days within the Michigan State basketball program, around is always a positive thing. That's no different when a former player returns to campus to serve as an assistant.
That has always been a common trend for Tom Izzo-coached Michigan State teams. It once again reigns true as former Spartan big man and fan favorite from the 2009 national runner-up team Goran Suton has returned to East Lansing.
Suton has returned to his old stomping grounds as a graduate assistant after spending more than a decade playing professionally in Europe. Rising senior bigs Carson Cooper and Jaxon Kohler, the latter of whom could easily have a Goran-like senior season this coming fall, have already played with the heart that Goran showed throughout his Spartan career.
Suton is working with both Kohler and Cooper along with the other big men on the roster, and it's pretty clear that they are going to benefit from a guy who went through the same process they are going through right now.
Cooper, who was a part of the winning team at the annual MoneyBall Pro-Am event this summer, spoke recently with Aidan Champion from Michigan State on SI about how important Suton's presence has already been.
"(Suton) brings that whole center presence that we need," Cooper said. "And as a GA, it's someone who we can relate to a lot with being coached by Izzo and playing the same position. And he was really good player back in the day, so for us, it's someone we can look up to, someone we can relate to on a personal level, especially with our position and stuff."
Cooper also mentioned how he's known Goran well before his return this summer. Suton has been a mainstay during the annual Grind Week when former players return to East Lansing.
Michigan State's Grind Week has always been special, and it will continue to be. Suton was huge as a player, and now he can pass that knowledge down to other Spartans. The bond that Izzo has built with so many former players, that have and continue to come back is simply outstanding.
Glad to see Goran back in East Lansing -- and so are the MSU bigs.