Carson Cooper is rocking a new look to begin March Madness, and it’s not necessarily for style points.
The Michigan State center is sporting a face mask for the Spartans’ NCAA Tournament opener against Mississippi State on Thursday.
The 6-11, 240-pound sophomore had started just six games this season heading into the tournament, with Thursday’s contest being his seventh. He did start Michigan State’s two Big 10 Tournament games against Minnesota and Purdue.
Perhaps Cooper’s mask will bring some new mojo in college basketball’s most special time of year. He averages 3.6 points and 4.6 rebounds in 17.1 minutes per game.
Here’s the real story behind the Spartans center’s face mask.
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Why is Carson Cooper wearing a mask?
Cooper suffered a bloody nose during the Michigan State-Purdue Big 10 Tournament quarterfinal on March 15. It’s still uncertain whether he broke his nose on the play, so he will wear the face mask as a precautionary measure through the end of the Spartans’ season.
Carson Cooper sporting a new mask. MSU sophomore got a bloody nose vs. Purdue but said it’s not conclusive if he broke it. Plans to explore having a corrective procedure after the season but will wear the mask – created by a 3D scan of his head – the rest of this season. pic.twitter.com/1ars1G5jx2
— Chris Solari (@chrissolari) March 20, 2024
Cooper’s mask was created using a “3D scan of his head,” and he is planning to undergo a “corrective procedure after the season.”
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