Michigan State basketball media day took place on Thursday, and if you’re anything like me, you’re already craving hoops content.
The Spartans are preparing to defend their Big Ten title, and it’s going to take a complete team effort, considering the losses this team has taken over the past few months. Michigan State lost Jaden Akins, Jase Richardson, Tre Holloman, Xavier Booker, Frankie Fidler, and Szymon Zapala from a team that won the Big Ten by three games, but the Spartans do return plenty of talent.
Guys like Jaxon Kohler, Jeremy Fears Jr., Carson Cooper, and Coen Carr will be back looking to defend that crown, and Tom Izzo is excited about his team.
On Thursday, he raved about his young guys, and then heaped a ton of praise on junior co-captain Coen Carr. He said pretty much exactly what fans have been wanting to hear regarding Carr all offseason.
Izzo has "big expectations" for Coen Carr. "But they've been earned." Says junior is bigger/stronger, improved shooting/ball-handling. "You fall in love with him with the fact he can jump over you. But that's not why I fall in love with him. I think he's worked his tail off."
— Chris Solari (@chrissolari) October 16, 2025
Outside of being a captain and team leader, Izzo says that he has “big expectations” for Carr and he’s earned them. He also said that Carr has improved his shooting and ball-handling, and he’s both bigger and stronger than he was last season — that‘s scary to think about.
Izzo said people fall in love with him because of the fact that he’s an elite athlete, but he fell in love with him for different reasons and he’s an incredibly hard worker.
I don’t know if Izzo has given a brighter endorsement of a player in recent memory, but he seems to believe that Carr is about to become a star.
And I know Michigan State fans are ready for that.