Michigan State's Keon Coleman won't play basketball this season, Tom Izzo announces: ANALYSIS

East Lansing, Mich. – Two-sport Michigan State athlete Keon Coleman will be dropping basketball and focusing on only one sport, football, Tom Izzo announced on Tuesday.

Coleman, who emerged as a star wide receiver during his sophomore season at Michigan State in 2022, practiced with the Michigan State basketball team last week and dressed with the Spartans for Friday’s victory over Buffalo. But he won’t be with the team for the rest of the season, in order to focus on football. 

“Keon Coleman and I spoke at length this week and we came to the joint decision that it would be best for him to focus on his football career and not join the basketball team at this time,” Izzo said in a press release issued by the university at 3:37 p.m. on Tuesday. “Keon had a great football season and it’s in his best interests to take the next few months to get ready for spring football, while also taking care of his academic obligations.

“I can’t thank Mel Tucker enough for his support of Keon and our basketball program. We recruited Keon together for both sports, and Mel was behind him trying to be a part of both programs. 

“I love Keon and have such great admiration for him, but I also want what is best for him and his future. I’m glad we agreed that this was the best plan of action moving forward.”

The 6-foot-4 Coleman had a breakout sophomore season for the Michigan State football team in 2021. He led the team with 58 catches, 798 receiving yards and seven receiving touchdowns.

Last year, Coleman saw action in six games for the Michigan State basketball team. He was a crowd favorite who checked into games during mop-up time. He scored five points on the year, but his athleticism and strength were evident.

COMP’S ANALYSIS

As long as Michigan State stays healthy in the backcourt, the Spartan basketball team likely won’t miss Coleman. But Coleman, of Opelousas, La., was one of the few two-sport athletes during Izzo’s career who truly had the capacity to have had an impact on the Spartan basketball team.

Coleman was a prolific scorer at the small high school level in Louisiana, but was never going to be a consistent scoring threat at the major college level for Michigan State as a part-timer. However, his strong 6-foot-4 frame, excellent leaping ability and supper-sudden quickness gave him the tools to become an impact player on the defensive side of the ball. Izzo can always use lockdown defensive players in the backcourt.

For example, when Michigan State was dead tired due to a heavy travel schedule and a difficult list of early-season opponents, and the Spartans were without Jaden Akins and Malik Hall due to injury, and Notre Dame’s well-rested guards were lighting up the Spartans from 3-point range during Michigan State’s 70-52 loss in South Bend on Nov. 30, could Michigan State have used Coleman’s length and athleticism on defense on that night? Absolutely.

But Coleman was nursing a hip issue at the time and wasn’t ready to join the Michigan State basketball team.

Later this season, could Coleman have become a bullpen option for a defensive specialist role and actually logged important minutes for Michigan State? Yes, I think he could have – especially if the injury bug bites again, and if players like Pierre Brooks remain slow to gain traction defensively. At times, Izzo has put walk-on Jason Whitens into games this season to send a message to Brooks that better work was needed from him on defense. Would Izzo prefer to send that message with an athletic freak like Coleman? You bet he would.

There’s no question that Izzo would have liked to have had Coleman on the Spartan bench this season, and perhaps worked to carve out a role for him. But Izzo is also a program guy, an athletic department guy, a pro-Tucker guy, and a pro-Coleman guy. As much as Izzo would like to have Coleman’s set of lungs and legs on the roster, Izzo wouldn’t want to do it if it might compromise Coleman’s bright future on the football field. That might sound corny, but that’s Izzo.

As for Michigan State football, any extra work that Coleman can put forth with Michigan State quarterbacks this winter, and into the spring, is a positive for Tucker’s program. With 15 mid-year enrollees set to hit campus on Jan. 7, Coleman’s presence as a blossoming leader on the football team will be valuable as well.

The Spartans were 5-7 on the football field in 2021. All receiving hands need to be on deck, especially Coleman’s, as Michigan State looks to rebound on the football field in 2023.