Carson Cooper has come full circle from a zero-star to a role model

Senior Night is always a special event. Both the age of the participants and the sport that they play are irrelevant. There is nothing quite like the experience of walking on to one's home court, field, ice, pitch, pool deck, or mat and knowing that it will be the last time doing so as a competitor.

But every Senior Night is unique because every player has a unique story and a unique journey. Michigan State senior captain and center, Carson Cooper, has had one of the more unique journeys in recent memory.

And that is exactly why it was so special.

Four years ago, he was a relatively unknown prospect living just a few dozen miles south of East Lansing in Jackson, Michigan. After the game Thursday night, Cooper was reminiscing and mentioned that, as a high school prospect, he remembers not being able to even dream about playing at a place like Michigan State.

"I didn't think that it was even a possibility," he said point blank.

But, eventually, the Michigan State staff did take notice and decided to take a flyer on the late bloomer from down US-127. Copper committed to the Spartans in May of 2022 and most fans - and even many recruiting experts - had no idea who he was.

"(He's) the guy next door, except for he's 6-foot-10," Michigan State coach Tom Izzo said about Cooper following Senior Night. "(He's) just a regular guy."

But that regular guy had more than just height. Cooper also played goalie for his high school soccer team. The combination of height with lateral agility, good hands, and a special goalie mindset does not exactly grow on trees. 

It is exactly the type of skill set that Izzo is often looking for in his big men. His commitment to the Spartans was both surprising and intriguing.

The original plan was for Cooper to take a redshirt year in order to acclimate to the high-major college basketball environment. But Izzo and his staff quickly realized that Cooper was talented enough to help right away. The redshirt was burned almost immediately once practice started in the fall.

Cooper wound up playing in all but four of MSU's games in the 2022-23 season. He logged double-digit minutes during the Spartans' run to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. Cooper did not fill up the box score during his first year on campus, but the potential in his game was apparent.

His minutes expanded greatly during his sophomore season, and Cooper established a reputation as a solid rebounder and defender. But his offensive game took a little longer to fully develop, and the Spartans finished with just a 20-15 record despite a top-five preseason ranking. Through adversity, Cooper did his best to look on the bright side.

"My first two years, we didn't win many games," he said, "But we still saw the positive in everything."

Looking back on his years as an underclassman, Cooper recalled trying to act like a sponge to learn as much as he could from the older big men on the team. He credited former Spartans Malik Hall and Joey Hauser for taking him under their wings. 

As Cooper transitioned from an underclassman to a veteran, his time on the floor and his stats continued to expand. In addition, Michigan State started winning more games. Suddenly, some of the voices who quietly (or loudly) complained that Izzo should have looked harder for a veteran starting center in the transfer portal fell silent.

Instead, fans were bellowing "Cooooooop!" every time he completed a lob dunk or made a defensive stop.

Michigan State senior center Carson Cooper talks to the media following the senior night win over Rutgers (photo: Paul Fanson/Spartans Illustrated)

Along the way, Cooper also made the shift from being the mentee to the mentor. It is a role that had to grow on him slowly, but it is a role that he now relishes. He sees it as a part of his legacy as a 'Spartan Dawg.'

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