BUFFALO, N.Y. – If you're anything more than a casual college basketball fan, you've heard of Coen Carr. The junior fills up social media feeds with highlight dunks seemingly every game, and his value as a two-way forward for head coach Tom Izzo is not to be taken lightly.

The forward has had a bevy of good games throughout his time in East Lansing, with most of them coming this season, but none can top his performance on Saturday against Louisville. 21 points and 10 rebounds on 8-for-13 shooting gave the Spartans what they needed to get to the second weekend, and Carr's highlight reel was filled with both loud and quiet plays that helped his team win. 

"Coen Carr played like the player we've all been waiting for," Izzo said.

"[He] was like an Ever-Ready bunny. He just kept going and going and going."

As is typical with high-flyers of Carr's caliber, the most viral highlights of his day were dunks.

Twice early on, he received an alley-oop the exact same way. As a guard dribbled to the middle of the floor, he cut on the baseline, behind all Cardinals defenders. The guard planted himself at the free throw line and lofted up a ball toward the rim, where Carr made a two-handed flush look like child's play.

Shortly after the forward's second flush that came this way, he had an opportunity for a third, but the ballhandler didn't see him. Frustrated, he jogged back down the court, unaware that he was about to score an even more emphatic basket.

Louisville turned the ball over, and Carr leaked out on the left side. This time, point guard Jeremy Fears Jr. couldn't take his eyes off his teammate, and he threw up a pass that Carr collected in motion.

Time for takeoff.

Carr soared through the air for a one-handed throwdown that brought the Spartans' lead up to nine. The crowd had already roared for Carr's earlier dunks – heck, they've been cheering for him since open practice Wednesday – but this one brought the loudest pop.

Believe it or not, dunks weren't the only moves Carr had in his repertoire down low. A couple times, the junior took the less physically taxing route, making tough layups off his strength and footwork.

One of the biggest baskets of the game came this way. The Cardinals had brought Michigan State's lead down to five with under eight minutes to go, and the Spartans needed to find a way to stop a bit of bleeding.

Near the rim, Carr caught the ball. The shot clock was winding down, and he needed to do something quick. With a man on him, he took one power dribble and banked in a layup with a foul. It was a huge three-point play that kept Louisville at arms' length.

"They [wanted] me to go out there and be aggressive, and that's what I tried to focus on today," Carr said.

Carr's paint scoring alone would've given him a good performance, but for the fifth time this season, he added in two made threes that took his day to a new level. The latter of the pair served as the dagger to Louisville's hopes.

This time, the Michigan State lead was in double figures with 4:45 remaining. The shot clock was winding down yet again, and the Cardinals seemed poised to get a crucial stop. Fears Jr. found Carr in the left corner, with his defender having sagged off him. The three rang true. The Spartans were now up by 13, and the door had all but shut on a Louisville comeback.

Away from the plays that'll end up in YouTube compilations, Carr had a couple less-heralded moments that were crucial to the game's outcome. Take his two blocks, both of which came in the second half when both teams were trading body blows.

With 14 minutes left, guard J'vonne Hadley drove to the rim and tried his hand at scoring on Carr. The shot was deflected, Michigan State's Trey Fort got the rebound, and he nailed a corner three eleven seconds later. It was a five-point swing.

A few minutes later, Ryan Conwell tried his hand down low. This time, the block was more emphatic, and Carr wrestled the ball away from the Cardinal for good measure. The Spartans bench and the fan section behind it roared; even more momentum was on their side.

One of Carr's few misses was salvaged by another gritty play with under seven minutes left. After missing a layup over Conwell, the ball bounced toward the baseline, and it was about to be awarded to Louisville. Unwilling to let the six-seed gain possession, Carr jumped up and threw the ball off his defender. 11 seconds later, Jaxon Kohler hit a three to bring the lead up to 13. It was another major point swing executed by No. 55.

If Saturday taught us anything, through a talented Michigan State roster, some sets of eyes should be glued to Carr in Washington D.C. Through the million-view dunks and the little things that barely register on the broadcast, the junior makes winning plays all over the court.