When Carson Cooper came to Michigan State, following his dream of playing major college basketball back at home under Hall of Fame head coach Tom Izzo, he knew he was going to face a long, uphill road to seeing the floor.
Cooper was an IMG Academy B-teamer, and an unranked recruit, but Izzo saw something in him when no other major program was really giving him the time of day.
Izzo landed him late in the 2022 class along with four-star top-60 big man Jaxon Kohler from Utah, and four-star, top-100 guard Tre Holloman from Minnesota. Both guys had high hopes and serious expectations for their 3-4 years in East Lansing, but Cooper came in without any. He was hoping to see the floor by the time he was an upperclassman, but he probably never expected to be one of the team leaders and best players by his senior year.
That’s exactly where he sits. Cooper is a talented, athletic big man who is playing himself into a professional contract somewhere after coming in as a zero-star recruit four years ago.
Izzo only has one regret, though. He regrets not redshirting Cooper.
Tom Izzo teases idea of Carson Cooper returning
Cooper spoke on his weekly radio show about the current team, that viral moment with Kur Teng, and how his biggest regret was not redshirting Cooper as a true freshman in 2022-23.
Then, he teased the idea of the veteran big man returning for a fifth year.
On Carson Cooper: “I think his best basketball is still ahead of him. The biggest mistake I made was not redshirting him.”
— Andrew Cumbow (@ACumbow) January 23, 2026
Then asks the media: “Let me ask you guys. Is he eligible next year?”
Someone answers yes.
“I just need to get a lawyer? Done deal!So maybe he will be…
Do I think Izzo is serious about this? I think he was half-joking, but if there was a way to get Cooper back for a fifth season, you can bet that Izzo is going to be all over it. He loves Cooper and the way he’s progressed so far has been impressive — the idea of a fifth year has fans salivating.
Bringing Cooper back to a team that would return Coen Carr, Jeremy Fears, Divine Ugochukwu, Cam Ward, Jordan Scott, Kaleb Glenn, Kur Teng, and Jesse McCulloch just wouldn’t be fair.
I never thought I would be saying this, but a fifth year of Cooper could legitimately give the 2026-27 team all that it needs to win the whole thing. It would have an elite point guard, outside shooting, two talented backup point guards, talented young bigs, and a veteran center who can do it all.
If the NCAA is letting G-Leaguers return to college, it can let Coop come back for one more year.