Izzo Commends Carr for Executing 'Little Things' in Iowa Win

The No. 8 Michigan State Spartans (25-5, 16-3) gutted out another tough road win on Thursday night as they came back to defeat the Iowa Hawkeyes (15-15, 6-13) in Iowa City. One player that deserves immense credit for their impact performance is high-flying sophomore guard Coen Carr.

Carr set a career-high four blocks, adding 8 points and five rebounds to a sneaky impressive performance. Despite not lighting up the scoreboard himself, Carr continues to impact this team in a winning way by executing the 'little things' as Coach Tom Izzo mentioned postgame.

"I think Coen [Carr] doesn't get enough credit for the little things he does," Izzo said. "And the little things are blocking a shot here, running the lane there.

" ... Coen started doing things off the ball, on the ball, running the court, getting dunks, getting offensive rebounds, missed free throw, he gets an offensive rebound. I mean, as that kid's shot keeps coming, and it is getting better, he's going to be a hell of a player."

Carr's stat line and production goes so far beyond the 8 points that he scored in the win. The four blocked shots not only gave new life to a Spartan team that trailed by 7 at halftime, but it limited Iowa's chances to stay in the game in the second half as Michigan State went on a 22-4 scoring run.

Whenever a Spartans guard deflects a pass and forces a turnover in space, Carr is always flying down the court for a transition dunk on the other end. Highlight play after highlight play is partly created by the guard's vision, but Carr's ability to get in position and set himself up for success is incredible.

Izzo mentioned Carr's shot beginning to come along and he is spot on. The second-year Spartan is shooting an impressive 62.7% on 137 total attempts this season. He has also raised his free-throw percentage from a year ago from 56% to 67.1%.

With the win, the Spartans clinch sole possession of the Big Ten title for the first time since 2018. They were not interested in sharing any part of the title with their in-state rival this season as they took care of business against a Hawkeyes team that did absolutely everything it could to try to pull off the upset.

Don’t forget to follow the official Spartan Nation Page on Facebook Spartan Nation WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE, and be a part of our vibrant community group Go Green Go White as well WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE.