Right after the season ended, the Michigan State fanbase found itself in the midst of a minor panic mode. The Spartans were losing Jaxon Kohler and Carson Cooper and the projected frontcourt for the 2026-27 season was not exactly instilling confidence.
Losing the starting frontcourt from a 27-win team and expecting the replacements to be even better was just unlikely. There was a lot of talk about the transfer portal, but an interesting option presented itself.
Cooper appeared on Matt Sheehan’s Locked On Spartans podcast and was asked if he’d be interested in returning for a fifth year, sort of in jest. Cooper’s response was surprising to everyone, including Sheehan who probably didn’t expect him to answer it so candidly. He said that he’d be open to a fifth year and that was something that he had spoken to the coaching staff about.
Nothing ever came of that, though. Not for a lack of trying on Tom Izzo’s behalf.
In fact, Izzo spoke openly about his conversation with Cooper about a fifth year and it sounds like the former Michigan State big man was the one who made the decision not to return. If he really wanted to, it sounds like Izzo would have put in the work to make it possible.
Cooper did the mature thing and told Izzo that he had his turn and now it’s his former teammates’ turn. That’s not something you hear from a graduating student-athlete with no pro guarantees these days.
Coach Izzo talks about calling Coop about a 5th years. Izzo says Coop said “Those guys i played in front of they deserve to have their chance” pic.twitter.com/fhXYl1VoQz
— Michigan State Hoops (@michsthoops) August 25, 2026
Cooper told Izzo that his dream was being fulfilled if he played well enough over the summer, and he was right. He signed a two-way contract with the Memphis Grizzlies even before Summer League started. Cooper went on to say, “Those other guys that I played in front of, they deserve to have their chance.”
Izzo would have been going outside of his comfort zone by attempting to bring Cooper back for a fifth year to play in front of the guys who he expected to be starters in the frontcourt.
Fortunately, Cooper wouldn’t let that happen.
Respect.
Carson Cooper is an extension of Tom Izzo’s mindset
If you sit down and really think about it, Cooper was the perfect Spartan big man for Izzo.
First, he came to Michigan State as an overlooked zero-star recruit from IMG Academy’s B-team and knew he was going to face an uphill battle for playing time. He was raw, but put in the work and became a regular role player as a sophomore, averaging 17 minutes per game. Then he became a starter as a senior and took a massive jump as a player, averaging 11.1 points and 7.1 rebounds.
Cooper watched as Izzo never recruited over him and let his development happen naturally. Izzo did land Szymon Zapala in the transfer portal, but Cooper wasn’t ready to start anyway. His minutes would have been the same with or without Zapala on the roster.
And now, with a chance to come back for a fifth year and potentially chase that national title one more time, Cooper pulled an Izzo and told his coach that he didn’t want to take the opportunities away from his teammates who worked hard to be in position to start.
That’s a respectable, mature way to handle the fifth-year option.
Izzo is rubbing off on these guys, apparently.
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