Spartans Refuse to Abandon Key Player's Offensive Development
Many of the players returning to the Michigan State basketball team have made vital contributions to this year's success, putting the Spartans in a strong position for another shot at the Big Ten title and a deep March run.
Point guard Jeremy Fears continues to grow into one of the best leaders the program has had, while his offense improves day by day. Jaxon Kohler has hit another gear, leading the team with 13.9 points per game and suddenly becoming a consistent three-point threat, and Carson Cooper has developed from a zero-star high school recruit to an essential defender and rebounder with an underrated offensive game.
Yet, one name is missing from that list: junior forward Coen Carr.
Carr's Season So Far
Coen Carr was expected to become one of the top players in college basketball this season. His freakish athleticism, electric dunks, and the difference he can make on the floor defensively already made him a massive mismatch for almost any opponent, and he displayed adequate shooting from three-point range and the free throw line as his sophomore campaign progressed.
Unfortunately, his shooting successes have seen regression in his junior year. He's gone from making 61.1% of his shot attempts to just 48.3%. His free throw percentage has dropped by nearly 10%, and his three-point shooting has dipped from 33.3% to a dismal 20.6%.
But those numbers don't tell the whole story for Carr's offense. Looking at the overall stat sheet for this season will tell you he's the team's third-leading scorer with 11 points per game. That doesn't quite match his percentages, and looking closer will reveal he had a few games at the start of the year and/or against lesser competition that skew those numbers.
He had 15 against then-No. 14 Arkansas but six against then-No. 16 North Carolina, then 10 against No. 4 Duke but three against Penn State and two against then-No. 13 Nebraska. It's just too inconsistent. Coen Carr is still an elctrifying highlight reel and more than makes up for any lack of production with his defense and rebounding, but the Spartans need him to rediscover his offense as they fight through the Big Ten.
"Coen's great with his defense and his attitude," head coach Tom Izzo said following Saturday's win over Washington in which Carr had just six points and missed several free throws. "He's just not playing as well offensively, and we're going to fight through that because it'll be a cold day in hell before I give up on Coen Carr."
In seven Big Ten games this season, Carr is averaging just about 8.3 points and 4.9 rebounds. The rebounding is consistent with most of his season and his career, but he was avearging almost 15 points per game during the nonconference schedule, which would lead the team if he produced consistently.
Some of that can be attributed to defenses knowing what he wants to do, but Michigan State believes he can do much more than others know.
"I am worried about it," Izzo admitted. "I feel for Coen because I know how hard he's worked at it. ... There's a couple things we're going to work a little harder on when they play him like that, and that's going to be on me."
Credit Izzo for having the awareness to keep working with his stars. He knows what this team can be. Carr's potential, like his leaping ability, is through the roof, but Michigan State needs to unlock it on the offensive end to reach its full potential as a team in 2026.
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-ac9f01ae65e71c7320d1c61247b2ecac.jpg "Travis Tyler")
Travis Tyler joined On SI as a writer in January 2026. He has experience contributing to FanSided’s NFL, college football, and college basketball coverage, in addition to freelance work throughout the Dallas–Fort Worth area, including high school, college, and professional sports for the Dallas Express and contributions to the College Football Dawgs, Last Word on Sports/Hockey, and The Dallas Morning News. In addition to his writing, Travis contributes video and podcasting content to Fanatics View and regularly appears as a guest analyst. He is a graduate of Michigan State University and SMU and is an avid Detroit sports fan with a deep knowledge and appreciation of sports history. Follow Travis Tyler on Twitter at @TTyler_Sports.