Tom Izzo evaluates when he knew Michigan State could make NCAA Tournament run

Tom Izzo knew his team could do some damage in March. After an uneven start for Michigan State, the Spartans turned it up late and are now one of the 16 teams remaining in the tournament.

Despite an upset loss at the hands of Ohio State in the Big Ten Tournament, Izzo and the Spartans didn’t waver. They beat USC and Marquette back-to-back in the NCAA Tournament.

Izzo joined The Herd and took listeners back to the beginning of the year.

“Well, what I knew early is we had two major injuries early, had two starters out and we still survived,” Izzo said. “Beat Kentucky. We survived with Gonzaga, got beat at the buzzer. We beat a Villanova team. So I knew we could be good enough. And then yet the ebbs and flows of the season. You know, we had some issues like everybody has and there were some question marks I had, but I did, and I’m a guy that’s usually the glass is half empty. My glass was half full because I had guys that have been here two, three and four years. I knew what I had. 

“I knew that I could motivate them in different ways. I knew that we weren’t soft, and those things made a difference. You know, knowing your personnel and I give Jerome (Tang) a lot of credit. You know, he’s got all those different kids from different schools because he was a new coach going in and he’s done a remarkable job. So I guess you can do it both ways. I like the way we do it, and I’m gonna hang with it as long as I can.”

At the end of the statement, Izzo alluded to his coaching future. He has no signs of slowing down.

To get back to the Sweet 16, the first time since 2019 when the team made the Final Four, the Spartans took down No. 2 seed Marquette.

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“I think we beat a damn good team,” Izzo said postgame. “They were tough. I mean, it started with that first one where they kind of stole the ball from him, and they came at him all day. To A.J.’s credit, that’s where I think he’s grown, because I said to him, he could have just died then. Then he made two great plays in a row. And I think he made some big steps and was the key. Joey, it’s so fun to hear people chanting.

“When people weren’t chanting a couple years ago. And I think he’s deserved every bit of it. The whole team did a lot of things but these three guys were special. And Tyson got his first collegiate dunk in the Big Ten.”