MSU’s Cooper Explains Emotions After Senior Night Win

EAST LANSING, Mich. --- It's been a long, long road to this point for Carson Cooper.

There was a time when Cooper was playing ball in Jackson and Tom Izzo and Michigan State "didn't even know about him," as Izzo said Thursday. MSU ended up discovering him on the IMG Academy B team. Despite Cooper having a zero-star rating and no other power conference offers, the Spartans took him.

Michigan State's Carson Cooper shoots a jump shot during warmups before a game against Rutgers on Thursday, March 5, 2026, at the Breslin Center. | Starr Portice, Michigan State Spartans on SI

Slowly but surely, Cooper got better and better and better. He's seen three other senior classes get out there and kiss the Michigan State logo at center court. On Thursday night, following the eighth-ranked Spartans' 91-87 victory over Rutgers, it was Cooper's very well-deserved turn to do it.

"It's tough," Cooper said when asked about the emotions of that moment. "I feel like everything in the world kind of stops, and you're just like in the moment, and everybody's just looking at you, and everybody's just really the most supportive that they can be."

Carson Cooper Postgame Video

More from Cooper After the Game

Michigan State's Carson Cooper kisses the MSU logo at center court on Senior Night following a 91-87 win over Rutgers on Thursday, March 5, 2026 at the Breslin Center. | Starr Portice, Michigan State Spartans on SI

Cooper ended up scoring 14 points (4-for-6 shooting, 6-of-8 free throws) with six rebounds during what will be his final game at the Breslin Center. The Scarlet Knights' late comeback attempt prevented any of MSU's seniors from kissing the logo before the game officially ended, but that didn't seem to detract much from the moment for Cooper.

"It really is cool," he said. "I always get emotional. The last three years, seeing those guys do that, and I've built up such a really great relationship with all those guys. So for me to be at that point in my journey... it's probably going to hit me later tonight and the next couple of days, but knowing I've still got basketball left is a good thing."

"It's not over now, but I might have to sit in the Breslin bleachers or something every once in a while and just kind of sit there and reminisce a little bit. I'm grateful for the opportunity."

Michigan State center Carson Cooper (15) celebrates a play against Rutgers during the first half at Breslin Center in East Lansing on Thursday, March 5, 2026. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The basketball is a long way from over, however. Cooper still has the regular season finale against No. 3 Michigan to worry about on Sunday (4:30 p.m. ET, CBS).

Then, the Spartans head off to Chicago, where they will be either the second or third seed in the annual Big Ten Tournament. After that, of course, is March Madness, where most bracket projections seem to have Cooper and Michigan State as a 2-seed at the moment.

Michigan State's Carson Cooper speaks following his Senior Night, a 91-87 win over Rutgers at the Breslin Center on Thursday, March 5, 2026. | Jacob Cotsonika, Michigan State Spartans on SI

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