Coen Carr’s summer has turned into a full-blown statement, and one former Big Ten star thinks it’s enough to put the Michigan State forward atop the preseason conference race.
Carr is heading into his fourth season in East Lansing, and likely his last, with expectations for both him and the Spartans running high. That comes with good reason. He’s spent four years in Tom Izzo’s system, and the work he’s put into developing a more reliable jumper is starting to show.
This offseason, Carr has added a pull-up jumper and quickened his release. He’s also been tearing it up at Moneyball, where he leads the league in total points and ranks second in points per game at 31.9. The clips have piled up online, too, with Carr flashing the new shot one moment and detonating for an athletic finish the next, including a poster over Ethan Taylor.
That stretch has caught the attention of Evan Turner, the 2010 Big Ten Player of the Year and former NBA veteran, who made a bold call for the 2026-27 season.
His summer highlights are looking good enough for me to say pre-season Big 10 Poy https://t.co/NriJsOn0XG
- Evan Turner (@thekidet) July 28, 2026
Turner’s take is clear: based on what he’s seen this summer, Carr is his preseason Big Ten Player of the Year pick.
That’s a strong endorsement from someone who has been there, won the award, and spent roughly a decade in the NBA. Turner’s view suggests he believes Carr’s all-around game has taken a real jump.
The question now is whether Carr can actually leap over Jeremy Fears Jr. in the preseason conversation.
I’m not sure if I’m buying Carr stock over Jeremy Fears for Big Ten Player of the Year, but it’s been a little while since Michigan State had two legit candidates at the same time.
The last time that happened was actually 26 years ago as Mateen Cleaves and Morris Peterson were both first-team All-Big Ten selections during the national title season.
Will history repeat itself?
Carr looks like a first-team All-Big Ten type of player, and Fears should be the obvious centerpiece for that group this season. I still lean Fears for Big Ten Player of the Year, but the fact that Michigan State has two players in that conversation says plenty about where the Spartans stand heading into the year.
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Tom Izzo Faces A Tough Roster Call As NCAA Fight Looms
A federal ruling out of Colorado has added another layer of uncertainty to Michigan States long-range planning, because it opened the door for college basketball players in the 2022 class to seek an extra year of eligibility. For Tom Izzo and the Spartans, the issue is not about the coming season so much as the one after that, when roster math could get complicated if veterans decide they want to come back for a fifth year.
The NCAA, for its part, has said it will stick with its original eligibility rules and may challenge the decision, which leaves the whole situation in limbo for now. Michigan State can only plan so far ahead with that kind of legal cloud hanging over it, and the potential impact on the 2026-27 roster is real even if the final shape of the ruling is still unresolved. [Read more 🡒]
Pat Fitzgerald Sounds Like Exactly What Michigan State Fans Wanted
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What stood out was how much confidence he projected in the programs foundation, from the resources around it to the fan base waiting for something bigger. Fitzgerald also drew on his own playing days at Northwestern as part of that broader point about what it takes to build a winning culture in the Big Ten. For Michigan State, the interesting part now is whether that kind of public certainty turns into the kind of season that lets the Spartans stay in the conversation deeper into the fall. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan State Freshmen Are Already Creating Real Playing Time Pressure
Michigan States new freshman class is arriving with a little more runway than classes of the past, and that could matter quickly for a roster still sorting out its depth chart. Under the NCAAs new 5-in-5 eligibility rules, the Spartans are no longer working around the old four-game limit, which opens the door for young players to get on the field without burning a year of eligibility in the same way they once would have. With five four-star recruits in the 2026 class, the talent level alone is enough to make this group worth watching as the season unfolds.
Pat Fitzgerald pointed to that flexibility at Big Ten Football Media Days, noting how the new setup can help teams find real roles for freshmen sooner rather than later. For Michigan State, the bigger question is how quickly those newcomers can turn recruiting buzz into actual snaps, especially with several spots already carrying competition and the staff evaluating where the best matches might be. The opportunity is there, but the freshmen still have to earn it, and that is where the pressure starts to build. [Read more 🡒]