Watching Coen Carr play basketball is one of the great pleasures that Michigan State fans can say they get to experience. He’s a special athlete, and he’s only getting better as a player.
Carr has been garnering praise from Tom Izzo and his teammates all offseason, saying that he’s improved in almost every facet of the game and he’s become a more well-rounded player. That was one thing that every Spartan fan was excited to see on Thursday night in the exhibition opener against Bowling Green.
And Carr didn’t disappoint.
The junior forward finished with 17 points, five rebounds, five blocks, four assists, and a steal. He also shot 7-for-11 from the floor and probably should’ve finished with 20-plus points, but he struggled from the free throw line.
Even though improvement from Carr was expected, even Izzo didn’t expect some of the plays he saw from the junior captain on Thursday night.
Tom Izzo: "Coen Carr made me say 'damn!' a couple times, I am glad he is on my team. One thing he has been doing better is passing the ball."
— Emmett Matasovsky (@E_Matasovsky57) October 24, 2025
Carr was incredible against Bowling Green, making plays for himself and others. Even Izzo was impressed with his ability to find teammates for open shots. He finished with four assists, and the attention he draws with the ball in his hands was used to his advantage. One of his best plays was where he got the ball around the free throw line, dribbled toward the basket, and then found a cutting Jaxon Kohler for an and-one.
Izzo is going to need Carr to play on another level like this consistently all season if the Spartans plan on defending their Big Ten title.
You know you have a special player when Izzo is still finding himself amazed.