Michigan State’s Tom Izzo Gives Stunning Confession at NCAA Tournament
CLEVELAND, Ohio — Michigan State coach Tom Izzo has been part of the in-state rivalry for many, many years. He knows it probably better than any Spartan there ever was.
He’s seen the nastiness of it, the full emotion it brings out of each school’s teams and fanbases.
Izzo knows Michigan State does not like Michigan.
That’s why it was rather surprising when the 30-year Spartans coach admitted he will actually be supporting the Wolverines in their Round of 32 showdown with Texas A&M on Saturday.
Izzo was asked at his press conference on Saturday about the success the Big Ten has had so far in the tournament, as Purdue’s win over McNeese marked the ninth win by the conference in this early stage of March Madness.
“I like to brag about it because I think sometimes the Big Ten just takes hits that — like we’re slow, or they think of what’s happened 20 years ago,” Izzo said. “So , you guys either don’t do a good job or we don’t do a good job, or somebody is not doing a good job because the league is really good. It’s really good, and we’ve got really good coaches.
“Man, I’m pulling for them all. I’m going to have to go in the closet when I do it, but I’m going to pull for Michigan today, too. That’s not normal.”
Izzo’s confession says a lot about his loyalty to his conference, one in which he became the sole leader of in all-time wins this season.
Michigan State’s rivalry with Michigan, as far as basketball goes, is as intense as it has been in years, despite the Spartans’ resounding sweep of the Wolverines this season. The midcourt scuffle is still fresh, and Michigan State could very well see the Maize and Blue later in this tournament — safe to say Izzo cares a great deal about his conference.
Izzo’s 2000 team was the last Big Ten team to win a national championship. As talented as the conference has still been since then, this drought continues to plague it, and until a victor comes out of the Big Ten once again, it frankly won’t get the respect it deserves.
Michigan’s game against Texas A&M is just moments from tip-off.
