MSU Basketball Facing Harsh Roster Realities Heading Into 2026

MSU lost two of their stars, and the impact is too big to deny.

Jan 27, 2026; Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; Michigan State Spartans forward Jaxon Kohler (0) reacts with center Carson Cooper (15) after scoring a basket during overtime against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Jersey Mike's Arena. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Spartans were able to get to the Sweet Sixteen last year under the leadership of Jeremy Fears Jr., Jaxon Kohler, and Carson Cooper, but only the first of the trio has come back for another season.

This means players will have to step up in big ways this season with help from Tom Izzo, such as the aforementioned Fears Jr., to lead the team in a more disciplined manner, and Coen Carr, to improve his three-point shooting, which would bolster his role as a hype man immensely.

Legendary Michigan State University men’s basketball coach Tom Izzo is also one of the greatest male athletes to hail from the Upper Peninsula. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

However, these things are more intangible and have little to do with the physical side of things, but the issue becomes a whole different beast when it is looked at through this new lens.

So what is MSU losing in Carson Cooper and Jaxon Kohler, and what have they been doing this off-season to combat it all?

The Harsh Reality of Losing Cooper and Kohler

Michigan State center Carson Cooper (15) dunks as Connecticut forward Tarris Reed Jr. (5) can only watch during the second half of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball East Regional game against UConn at Capital One Arena in Washington DC on Friday, March 27, 2026. Michigan State lost the game 67-63. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

• While hype and leadership can be manufactured by a select number of players of any stature, size cannot be simply encouraged or coached out of someone, and Kohler and Cooper were the two biggest players on the entire team.

• The former is six foot nine, and he was lethal from the three-point line in his time with MSU, but his size made him a very viable threat in the paint, meaning he could not be left alone no matter where he was on the court.

Michigan State center Carson Cooper (15) shoots the jumper over Connecticut forward Tarris Reed Jr. (5) during the second half of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball East Regional game against UConn at Capital One Arena in Washington DC on Friday, March 27, 2026. Michigan State lost the game 67-63. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

• Carson Cooper was actually even larger than Kohler with his six-foot-11 frame, and as much as Kohler could not be left alone in the paint, neither could Cooper, but taken up a small level.

• The paring essentially made it impossible for defenses to truly gang up on any one player, and it came to the Spartans' advantage when taking three-point shots, which they tried to do quite often, even if they refused to land.

Mar 27, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; Michigan State Spartans forward Jaxon Kohler (0) shoots the ball past UConn Huskies forward Tarris Reed Jr. (5) in the first half during a Sweet Sixteen game of the East Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

• So, without Cooper and Kohler, the Spartans are losing an essential part of size, which comes into play on defense as well with blocking shots and getting in people's faces, and spacing the floor on offense, so they have had no choice but to face the empty roster spaces head-on.

What the Spartans Are Doing To Replace Them

Michigan State's Jaxon Kohler, center, celebrates with Jordan Scott, left, and Carson Cooper after Kohler's 3-pointer against Rutgers during the second half on Thursday, March 5, 2026, at the Breslin Center in East Lansing. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

• The Spartans are bringing in freshman Jasiah Jervis and Julius Avent, who are six foot five and six foot seven, respectively, with a lot of room to grow in both stature and play; with them on the way, MSU at least has a good start at replacing Kohler and Cooper.