photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Baldwin senior Cooper Carr goes for a layup after the whistle in Baldwin's substate championship win over Paola on Saturday, March 7, 2026, in Baldwin.

Baldwin senior Cooper Carr’s first love was soccer. It’s a sport his older brother introduced him to, and one he has played since his early childhood.

But since he was in fourth grade, Carr knew his sport would be basketball. Carr is in his final week playing for Baldwin boys basketball, but when the season ends, his basketball career will continue at Northwest Missouri State.

“I’ve been soccer and basketball my whole life, so now it’s just honing in on one sport, and I’m excited to see myself improve more when I get to campus,” Carr said. “I think they go hand-in-hand. They’ve helped me improve in the other sport, but it was no doubt that I was going to play basketball at the next level.”

Carr and Northwest Missouri State first got into contact the summer before Carr’s junior year. Finding the right fit was important for Carr, and after a year and a half of communication with the Bearcats, he was confident that Northwest Missouri State had that fit.

The Bearcats went 15-16 this season, including an 8-11 record within the MIAA conference in the second year under coach Matt Keeley. Despite the losing season, the Bearcats improved from their first year under Keeley, in which they won only six games.

Being part of a rebuilding program was enticing to Carr. It means more to help cement a legacy somewhere and raise the standard of a program. At Northwest Missouri State, Carr hopes to do just that.

“Coach Keeley’s already got it going in the right direction,” Carr said. “What I add is a tough, hard-nosed dude from a small town. I don’t have any pride or ego. You might see that from some of these ranked dudes, but I’m just going to get on campus, get to work, do what I’ve done the last four years and continue to improve their program.”

Keeley’s interest in Carr was apparent and appreciated. When Baldwin beat Paola in the substate championship, Keeley was in attendance to support Carr.

“He trusted me,” Carr said. “I think maybe I was a little under-recruited, so I have got that chip on my shoulder, but they took a shot on me and I appreciate them.”

On the court, Carr plays with a high IQ. He’s often Baldwin’s leading scorer, and he’s as good at shooting the ball as he is maneuvering through traffic to get to the rim.

While Carr always envisioned basketball would be the sport he’d play for longer, it wasn’t until his freshman year at Baldwin that he realized playing in college was potentially in store for him. Once he had that realization, he put in the work to make it a reality.

“I just continued to work, get in the gym late at night, do the little things and show up each and every day,” Carr said. “My guys trust me, and my summer team with PAC (Pro16) showing me a different role helped me. I can play any role.”

After playing the sport most of his life and leading Baldwin over the last four years, Carr is ready to make his mark at the next level.

“I’m super excited to get on campus, get to work for Northwest,” Carr said. “I want to get down there, play good defense and just win games.”