Coen Carr provides a must-see highlight in a big-time moment for Michigan State

With his team trailing by one with under five minutes remaining in its Sweet 16 matchup with Ole Miss, Tom Izzo probably wasn’t looking for style points, but Coen Carr delivered them anyway. College basketball’s preeminent dunker dropped the hammer on the Rebels as his Spartans pulled away for a 73-70 win in the South Regional Semifinal in Atlanta. 

Ole Miss immediately responded with a three-pointer from star point guard Sean Pedulla to reclaim a two-point advantage, but Carr’s dunk should have been worth about four or five. Carr has spent the entire season, and frankly, his career at Michigan State building an extensive highlight tape, but this dunk might be one of his most impressive considering the circumstances. 

Carr finished the game with 15 points, shooting 6-10 from the field with three rebounds and a block. The 6-foot-5 sophomore even knocked down a three-pointer in the first half, one of his two attempts from beyond the arc in the game. He shot 30.8% from three this season but on just 13 attempts. If Carr can add that element to his game then he’ll have a lengthy NBA career in his future because there simply aren’t many athletes of his caliber on earth. 

Carr will have at least one more chance to add to his highlight tape in the Elite Eight as the Spartans prepare to face either Auburn or Michigan after the Sweet 16 victory. The win was Tom Izzo’s 59th of his lengthy career and it's clear that the 70-year-old head coach has been loving this team as much as any he's ever coached. With a player like Carr providing must-see moments on a daily basis, how could he not?

While no member of Michigan State's team can match Carr's vertical, freshman Jase Richardson may have been even more impressive on Friday night. Richardson led the way offensively, scoring 20 points on 6-8 from the field. Izzo will need both of his young stars to play well to keep this memorable March Madness run rolling.