AJ Hoggard says he’s driving the Carson Cooper hype train

It’s not often you see a lightly-used freshman getting a ton of praise, but AJ Hoggard (and others) are high on Carson Cooper.

No one on the 2023-24 Michigan State basketball team is exempt from the hype.

That goes for guys like AJ Hoggard, Tyson Walker, Xavier Booker, Coen Carr, Malik Hall, and Jaden Akins all the way down to Steven Izzo and Nick Sanders.

The hype is building.

But one guy has seemed to fly under the radar throughout his entire career; that is no longer the case, however. That guy is Carson Cooper.

The former unranked big man from IMG Academy committed to Michigan State late in the process last year after being lightly-recruited and it was an interesting addition. He wasn’t talked about much and some felt that Tom Izzo was wasting a roster spot on a guy who couldn’t contribute immediately.

Well, he had plenty of bright spots as a freshman, playing 13 minutes against USC in the first round of the NCAA Tournament and scoring six points with four rebounds. He then played 16 minutes against Marquette and 12 versus Kansas State. He was the top center off the bench in the tournament. Who could have seen that coming?

Some have been high on Cooper all along. That includes Hoggard.

Earlier this week, Cooper posted a highlight video of one of his recent workouts. He looked great, loose, and confident. Cooper looked more coordinated than ever and fans were clamoring about a potential breakout soon.

DK, a prominent MSU account on Twitter, even said that it was time to join him on the Cooper hype train before it leaves the station. He’s been adamant about Cooper being a stud from the get-go.

And Hoggard responded with “I’m the driver!!!”

I’m the driver !!! https://t.co/4beFkOFd71

— wop (@ajhoggard3) July 4, 2023

A year ago, if you told me that AJ Hoggard would be hyping up Carson Cooper as a breakout player, I wouldn’t have believed you. Now, it feels like there’s even more to be excited about.

Cooper averaged just 1.6 points and 0.9 rebounds in 6.6 minutes as a freshman, but he hasn’t even come close to scratching the surface. Maybe he will unlock his entire bag this season and we’ll be graced with three starting-caliber centers for an entire year.

I don’t know about you, but if Hoggard is driving the Cooper hype train, I want on.