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Izzo Calls Coen Carr His Best Athlete Ever at MSU
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- Izzo Calls Coen Carr His Best Athlete Ever at MSU
Michigan State Spartans head coach Tom Izzo has run the program since 1995, more than three decades of rosters to measure against each other. At Big Ten media days in Rosemont, Illinois, on Thursday, he put forward Coen Carr as the most athletic of all of them. "When I had Jason Richardson and Shannon Brown, those guys were phenomenal athletes. But this kid is a better athlete," Izzo said in a clip the Big Ten posted from the event.
Jason Richardson Set the Bar for Michigan State Athletes
That is a high bar. Richardson played for Michigan State from 1999 to 2001 and helped the Spartans win the 2000 national title against the Florida Gators. He went No. 5 overall to the Golden State Warriors in the 2001 NBA Draft and played in the league from 2001 to 2015.
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Coen Carr Will Need a Big Year for Michigan State
The Spartans will need another jump from Carr if they are going to reach the 2027 Final Four at Ford Field in Detroit . In 35 games last season, he averaged 12.0 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 0.8 blocks , all career highs, plus 0.5 steals.
Izzo's comparison is about athleticism, not draft stock. Carr is not projected as a first-round selection in the 2027 NBA Draft; NBATank's current board has him going No. 58, in the second round . That still doesn't mean he can't have a big season for Michigan State. Carr is going to need to be one of the engines for this team, and Jeremy Fears Jr. will need to be as well.
