If there’s ever a game that goes by without Coen Carr throwing down a vicious dunk, it usually catches Michigan State basketball fans by surprise.
Carr is the best athlete and dunker in college basketball, so if he’s not throwing down, it feels like something is missing. He has improved his handle, his shot, and his defense this season, but that doesn’t change the fact that fans want to see his high-flying antics.
Tom Izzo is just like us.
The Hall of Fame head coach looks forward to seeing those incredible dunks, game in and game out, but even he is shocked at some of the plays his junior forward is able to make at the rim.
Saturday’s win at Maryland was a prime example of Izzo actually being shocked by what he sees from his own player who he witnesses dunk at practice every single day. After the Maryland win that was highlighted by a couple of incredible alley-oops to Carr, Izzo spoke about the dunks in his post-game presser, sating that they still make him say “woah” and it’s surprising because he’s just a “regular guy”.
Tom Izzo: "Coen Carr can bring something that very few people can do. His dunks made me say 'woah,' and I see him every day. I love the kid. He has grown so much, he's grown as a leader. He is the most polite, honest, regular guy."
— Emmett Matasovsky (@E_Matasovsky57) January 24, 2026
Not many things can make Izzo say “woah” but a Carr throwdown is one of them. He probably sees the thunderous dunk where Carr is streaking down the court on a fast break on a daily basis, but those half-court lobs from Jeremy Fears really got the head coach to rub his eyes in disbelief.
The second alley-oop even had Izzo doing the “surrender cobra” on the sidelines.
Just in case you wanted to see those two Coen Carr dunks a few times 😉 pic.twitter.com/HIRSvzd5IQ
— Michigan State on BTN (@MichiganStOnBTN) January 24, 2026
Coen Carr: not just a dunker
The biggest knock on Carr coming into the season was that all he could do was dunk. He’s obviously an incredible athlete, but no one saw him adding a jumper to his game or really playing at an elite level defensively, but he’s done both.
While his jumper isn’t consistent yet, it’s getting there. He looks much more comfortable dribble to the top of the key and taking a jumper than he did even a few weeks ago.
Over the past two games, Carr has made four threes, and he’s been able to hit some mid-range jumpers, too. He’s not just a dunker, but seeing him throw down 2-3 times a game usually helps inject some energy into the offense. His massive momentum-changing dunks almost always lead to timeouts by the opposing team to regroup and make sure things don’t spiral out of control.
Like Izzo said, Carr has grown so much.