One major benefit of having Tom Izzo as your head coach is that you'll always be learning and growing, even when that knowledge isn't coming from him.
That has never been more evident than during Michigan State's annual Grind Week, an event hosted by Izzo that welcomes former Spartan stars back to campus to work out with the current team and teach them a thing or two. Carson Cooper is making sure to take full advantage of Grind Week.
The senior big man came to Michigan State with modest expectations as a late addition to his recruiting class from IMG Academy, not exactly rated as one of the top recruits in his class -- he was actually unranked.
But since he's been in East Lansing, he's grown each season, and now he's a starter for a team that just won the Big Ten title and went to the Elite Eight.
What's next for the senior? Taking that next step.
How can he do that? By soaking up some knowledge from the visiting Spartan basketball alums who have spent time in the NBA and who know what it takes to be successful at the college level.
Xavier Tillman has been seen taking Cooper under his wing during Grind Week so far.
Xavier Tillman coming to EL to have a chat with Carson is what the MSU culture is all about. Really cool and I can’t think of a better tutor for Cooper pic.twitter.com/clStEbKJYb
— andrewtalkshoops (@andrewtalkshoop) September 5, 2025
As a Spartan big man, if you're going to learn from anyone about how to defy the odds and become a successful post player, it would have to be Tillman. He was one of the best bigs that Izzo has ever coached and he really did damage on both ends of the floor.
It's why he went from a modestly-ranked four-star from Grand Rapids to an NBA draft pick and now world champion as a backup for the Boston Celtics.
Cooper taking adivce and pointers from Tillman is exactly what Izzo loves to see. He invites his former players back to help create a family atmosphere, and you can see his coaching pay major dividends when those alums are teaching his current players.
Full circle moment.