EAST LANSING – Tom Izzo has made senior night for Michigan State basketball a major moment. Both for his program and for the individuals
To the 31st-year Hall of Fame coach, it’s a testament to the program he has built.
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“There’s nothing like senior night here. I mean, it’s special,” Izzo said Tuesday, March 3. “And it should be special. Because most of these kids have given four or five years of their life to this place. And I want to make sure they know they’re appreciated.”
No. 8 MSU (24-5, 14-4 Big Ten) hosts Rutgers (12-17, 5-13) at 8 p.m. Thursday at Breslin Center. After the game that tips off at 8 p.m. (FS1), the Spartans will honor senior players Jaxon Kohler, Carson Cooper, Nick Sanders, Trey Fort and Denham Wojcik, along with team managers and student support staff who are graduating.
It will be the first memory-making moment this March for Kohler and Cooper, two of just 10 Big Ten scholarship players who will celebrate their final home game at the school they played their entire career at. Even though they all know there are more meaningful games ahead this month.
“It’s a bittersweet moment,” Cooper said after practice Tuesday. “The best is yet to come still. But it’ll be an emotional day, for sure.”
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Izzo took a few seconds to think back to his own senior day at Northern Michigan, and for a few seconds, he was pensively transported back to Marquette, Michigan, nearly 50 years to the winter of 1977. Details were a bit blurry as he tried to recall to an impromptu question, but one thing stood out most, the same thing he’s tried to build since taking over MSU in 1995.
The family atmosphere.
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 in Piscataway, New Jersey, on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026.
“There wasn’t quite the excitement for my senior year. We probably had a snowstorm and millions missed the game,” he said. “But you always remember your senior night, because grandpa came to the game and he was in his late 80s then, and my parents. And then being from the (Upper Peninsula), it’s always a little more special, because it was the place I dreamed of going. But I don’t remember exactly how the game went and everything.
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“Maybe that’s one of the reasons I try to make this even bigger. I try to make this a big night, and it’s not just for our players. I try to look at everybody who touched my program.”
Here’s a look at MSU’s five seniors, three of whom have been with the Spartans for the past four years:
F Jaxon Kohler
Michigan State forward Jaxon Kohler (0) dribbles against Indiana forward Tucker Devries (12) during the first half at Breslin Center in East Lansing on Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026.
Vitals: 6-10, 245 pounds
Hometown: American Fork, Utah.
Kohler has progressed from a doughy swift-footed freshman to a slimmed and sinewy inside-out machine capable of hitting shots from the perimeter and in the paint while gobbling up rebounds at a high volume. He’s MSU’s second-leading scorer this season at 12.4 points and the top rebounder at 9.2 a game, including 12 double-doubles.
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Kohler: “Every time I was there for senior night, I never really thought about what my senior moment might look like for me, because in some way, I never thought mine would come. It was so far away, you never think it would blow by as fast as it did. … Even though it’s senior night, the season’s not over yet and there’s so much more basketball to be played. But on the other hand, you gotta prepare yourself, because I’m gonna be a wreck. All the highs and lows and all the memories I’ve had here will never be replaced. Some of the best years of my life – the best years of my life – were here, growing and maturing and building relationships with everybody here.”
Izzo on Kohler: “I’m not sure I’ve had a kid who cares as much about the game. … I’ve had guys. But this kid, he puts more into his work every day than just about anybody I’ve had.”
C Carson Cooper
Michigan State center Carson Cooper (15) dunks against Michigan guard Elliot Cadeau (3) during the first half at Breslin Center in East Lansing on Friday, Jan. 30, 2026.
Vitals: 6-11, 245.
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Hometown: Jackson, Michigan.
Cooper might have the highest floor-to-ceiling development path of any player Izzo has coached in his 31 seasons, going from a mid-tier recruit and blossoming into a starter at center. This season, Cooper is averaging 10.3 points and 7.2 rebounds over 26.3 minutes, continuing to display the defense that earned him immediate playing time as a freshman and complementing it with a developing offensive game that has blossomed in the past month.
Cooper: “I think when I was younger, I think I was a little naïve, a little kind of feeling out what I wanted to do. I think in my head, I wanted to get where I am now. So I had to have faith in myself, and I had the faith in my coaches and the development they put me through. I think it’s cooler to see that come full circle.”
Izzo on Cooper: “What he’s done is he’s improved every year. Sometimes, the improvement was a little slower than I wanted or what he wanted. But I think he saved his best basketball for last. I think he’ll play basketball after college, I really do. He’s a guy that went from liking it to loving it. And he started living it. And when he did, good things started happening for him.”
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G Nick Sanders
Michigan State’s Nick Sanders moves the ball against Maryland’s Leroy Blyden Jr. during the second half on Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026, at the Breslin Center in East Lansing.
Vitals: 5-11, 185.
Hometown: Franklin, Michigan.
The buzz: While his famous father, former Lions great Barry Sanders, might be the Hall of Famer in the family, Nick Sanders has become a behind-the-scenes star for Izzo’s program. The walk-on has been part of MSU’s scout team the past four seasons, and Izzo hopes to keep the Detroit Country Day product around as a graduate assistant or in some capacity for the coming years.
Izzo on Sanders: “That’s not why Nick’s here, because he’s Barry’s kid. Nick’s here because he’s Nick Sanders. I tell Barry all the time, ‘I don’t know what kind of student you were, Barry, but I bet you weren’t as good as your son.’ His son is a phenomenal student, and I think Barry agreed with me. …I’m trying to convince to come back as a GA and get his master’s. I just like having him in this program. He stands for a lot of things I believe.”
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G Trey Fort
Michigan State’s Trey Fort moves the ball against USC during the first half on Monday, Jan. 5, 2026, at the Breslin Center in East Lansing.
Vitals: 6-4, 200.
Hometown: Florence, Mississippi
The buzz: Fort arrived in the summer with one year of eligibility remaining, having played at five different schools in each of the past five years. After beginning the season as MSU’s starting shooting guard, minutes have waned over the course of the season. Fort averages 3.7 points and 1.2 rebounds in 10.2 minutes, but he had a big game in trying to help a comeback at Minnesota and provided strong defense in Sunday’s win against Indiana star Lamar Wilkerson.
Izzo on Fort: “His family is great, he’s been a great student. And for a guy that it has to be tough what he’s going through, he hasn’t shown that at all. He’s had his days when he’s been down and we call him in and he pops right back up. So maybe if there’s anybody who’s learned to deal with adversity and things, I’m not sure anybody’s done a better job than Trey has. And for that, I’ll be thankful and I’ll always try to help him.”
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G Denham Wojcik
Michigan State’s Denham Wojcik moves the ball against UCLA during the first half on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026, at the Breslin Center in East Lansing.
Vitals: 6-3, 190.
Hometown: Charleston, South Carolina
The buzz: The son of MSU assistant coach Doug Wojcik arrived this summer via transfer from Harvard and has emerged as the Spartans’ No. 2 point guard with the early February injury to Divine Ugochukwu. Wojcik gets short stints spelling starter Jeremy Fears Jr. and is averaging 1.2 assists in his 5.5 minutes a game.
Izzo on Wojcik: “Denham has been awesome. I had an appreciation for having my son (Steven) around all the time. For Doug and Lael, it’s gotta be a treat of all treats. And at the same time, he has helped us. And he will help us more.”
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Rutgers update
Rutgers Scarlet Knights guard Tariq Francis (0) makes a three point basket as Michigan State Spartans forward Jordan Scott (6) defends during the second half at Jersey Mike’s Arena in Piscataway, New Jersey, on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026.
The Scarlet Knights have won two of their last three games on the road, including Sunday’s 69-65 win at Maryland. Prior to that, Rutgers endured a seven-game losing streak – which included taking MSU to overtime before losing, 88-79, on Jan. 27 in Piscataway, New Jersey – but has won three of its last five.
Guard Tariq Francis, a 6-1 senior, leads Rutgers at 16.6 points while shooting 42.5% and hitting 32.2% from 3-point range. He scored 19 points and went 10-for-10 at the free-throw line in the win at Maryland on Sunday. Dylan Grant, a 6-8 sophomore forward, averages 10.4 points, while 6-10 senior center Emmanuel Ogbole leads the Scarlet Knights with 6.2 rebounds to go with his 4.0 points.
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Contact Chris Solari: csolari@freepress.com. Follow him @chrissolari.
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Next up: Scarlet Knights
Matchup: Michigan State (24-5, 14-4 Big Ten) vs. Rutgers (12-17, 5-13 Big Ten).
Tipoff: 8 p.m. Thursday; Breslin Center, East Lansing.
TV/radio: FS1; WJR-AM (760).
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan State basketball seeks senior-day memory with win vs Rutgers
