WATCH: Tom Izzo, Michigan State go crazy in locker room following Sweet Sixteen berth
A big win calls for a big celebration, and Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo understood the assignment on Sunday night. The Spartans knocked off Marquette in the round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament, defeating the No. 2 seeded Golden Eagles 69-60.
The win marks Izzo’s 15th appearance in the Sweet 16, as the Spartans will face Kansas State on Thursday for a chance to reach the Elite 8.
But before Izzo and the Spartans take on the Wildcats, they made sure to celebrate. Michigan State basketball’s Twitter account documented the moment when Izzo met his team in the locker room, as the team showered him cheers, and of course plenty of water.
Izzo let out a ‘yeah baby’ as he greeted his team and kicked off their epic locker room celebration. But before the celebration, Izzo was moved to tears in his post-game interview after the win. There’s no question that it’s been a long and emotional year for the Spartans following the tragedy that occurred on campus in February. But ever since then, the Spartans basketball team has served as an area of positivity for the East Lansing community.
Sunday’s game was a dogfight where the Spartans had to earn every basket. There were 10 lead changes and Michigan State shot an egregious 12.5% from three-point range, but still managed to pull out the win. The Spartans were up by one point with 3:36 left remaining in the game, then proceeded to go on a 10-0 run that would propel them to their big victory.
Tom Izzo makes unique NCAA Tournament history with win against Marquette
When it comes to the NCAA Tournament, Michigan State coach Tom Izzo thrives no matter where his team is seeded. Following a 69-60 victory for the No. 7 seed Spartans against two-seed Marquette to advance to the Sweet Sixteen, CBS Sports revealed Izzo entered some interesting history.
With the win, Izzo surpassed former Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim for the most Sweet Sixteen appearances as a No. 5 seed or lower with six total. Not only that, but his 16 wins as the lower-seeded team are also the most from any coach.
Tom Izzo has had massive success in the NCAA Tournament as a whole, having led Michigan State to 15 Sweet Sixteens across 28 seasons. The Spartans have not missed the tournament since Izzo’s second season in East Lansing, with 25 straight appearances. That includes eight trips to the Final Four and one national championship in what has been one of the most successful coaching tenures in college basketball history.
As Izzo moves on to this year’s Sweet Sixteen, he’ll have a chance to add to his win total as a lower seed. Michigan State is set to face No. 3 seed Kansas State in New York City later this week with an opportunity at another upset.