The NCAA has been busy this offseason already and a new guidance reported on Thursday hinted at some major rule changes in the near future that will directly impact Michigan State.
We already saw the NCAA’s guidance had to do with international players and eligibility. Basically, if you played meaningful professional basketball overseas, you’re likely not going to be eligible to play college basketball. Given the timing of this, that could absolutely devastate some programs. A program like LSU, led by Will Wade, could face a roster evaporation if this were to be implemented immediately and within the 2026 class.
I don’t see that happening though.
The other rule change that’s being talked about is the five-year window vote that’s supposed to happen soon. People seemingly forgot about it, but Michigan State fans have been locked into that potential rule change because they’ve been hoping for a fifth year from Carson Cooper in East Lansing.
Well, the proposed new rule that would be voted on — allegedly in June — states that student-athletes who wrapped up their fourth year in the spring semester of 2026 would not be eligible for a free fifth year. That essentially puts the Cooper fifth-year pipe dream to rest for good.
NCAA confirms it might vote on the new five-for-five eligibility rules in June. If it votes yes, here is the implementation process: pic.twitter.com/tYMZluudZX
— Amanda Christovich (@achristovichh) May 22, 2026
Tom Izzo’s addition of Anton Bonke via the transfer portal this offseason kind of hinted at the fact that Cooper likely wasn’t returning, but many were still holding out hope. It also seemed possible because Cooper was one of just two Spartans going through the draft process to not have scheduled a pre-draft workout with an NBA team. The other Spartan is Trey Fort.
Cooper did participate in the Portsmouth Invitational last month and actually faced off against Jaxon Kohler who I thought should have also gotten some love in the fifth year discussion, especially since Bonke will be playing center. Kohler got his first workout with the Memphis Grizzlies.
Not bringing Cooper back will be disappointing, but at least we’ll likely get to watch him in NBA Summer League action in July.
It was always going to take a miracle for Carson Cooper
Considering he didn’t suffer any season-ending injuries in his career and played all four years, there was really going to be no case for his fifth year if a new NCAA rule wasn’t passed.
Cooper had never suffered a major injury, there were no hardships to speak of, and Izzo made the mistake of not redshirting him. He didn’t need to play a few minutes as a freshman. That could have been saved up for a fifth season after a redshirt.
Now Cooper enters the NBA draft process as an athletic big who loves the pick-and-roll and who has improved his jumper. He’s not going to step out and get you threes, but he’s known to hit a mid-range jumper or two.
Some NBA team is going to get a steal in undrafted free agency this summer. It will unfortunately not be Michigan State, barring a miracle.
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