Tom Izzo opens up on what it means to have Michigan State in the 'upper echelon' of college basketball
Michigan State was a good basketball program before Tom Izzo ascended to the head coaching role. But Izzo has changed the Spartans into one of the best nation’s premier programs.
For each of the past 25 NCAA Tournament, Michigan State has made the field. That streak is one of the best of all-time behind only Kansas and North Carolina. The 25 straight is also a new record for one coach as Izzo passed former Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski.
He was asked on Selection Sunday about having Michigan State slotted among those historic blue bloods and even current powerhouses like Gonzaga.
To answer the question, Izzo thought back to the recruitment and career of one of his biggest stars in Mateen Cleaves.
“I remember recruiting Mateen Cleaves and telling him that we’ll get on TV,” Izzo said. “That was the big thing then. You couldn’t get on TV. Everything was Michigan in the Fab Five. I had to convince him of that. And once we did that was the whole mission and goal of everything to maintain a level and play against the teams.
“He said I want to play the best. I still remember one sad story his senior year. All he wanted to do was beat North Carolina for some reason. And his senior year I scheduled them. I scheduled anybody he wanted to schedule. In fact I did just about anything he wanted to do now that I think back on it. Not a bad idea, though. But anyway, that’s when he had his broken foot. He walked into the arena in North Carolina on crutches. He looked up and he saw Jordan’s thing and all that. I remember Morris Peterson and Charlie Bell came over and said you better go talk to Mateen.
“I went over there. He was crying like a two-year-old. That was his dream. That was his passion. That’s what he wanted to do. And I said, you know to get to play North Carolina, we’re gonna have to win a national championship. That’s kind of where it started as far as that year.”
Cleaves was a three-time All-American, two-time Big Ten Player of the Year and Most Outstanding Player at the 2000 Final Four.
Izzo says that Cleaves is the type of player who helps build a program like the one Izzo has created.
“I remember that same year we played Wright State some of you,” Izzo said. “We played Wright State and he was sitting on the bench. We were one in the country and they weren’t really good. I was supposed to fly down and meet my family at the bowl game in Orlando. I was speaking at the Alumni thing that next day, which was New Years. We got beat. He’s on the bench and he called me every name in the book because I wouldn’t play him.
“He says I’m healthy I’m fine. No, not doing it man. Not doing it. You got another week and then we got a week before the Big Ten starts. He was not real enthralled with my decision. Then when we lost I was not very happy with my decision because I remember walking through those airports and people hey, that’s the guy that just lost, No. 1 team in the country, to Wright State.
“Between those couple of things that happened, those were the driving influence, but I think that’s what everybody needs. Everybody needs somebody to lead their team on the court. That’s what I keep telling AJ. You need somebody that is a coach on the floor. That drives other people, makes other people better than they actually are. He was the best at it.”
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Start times for Tom Izzo’s Michigan State, other teams in East Region
No. 1 Purdue vs. No. 16 Texas Southern/Fairleigh Dickinson — March 17, 6:50 p.m., TNT
No. 8 Memphis vs. No. 9 Florida Atlantic — March 17, 9:20 p.m., TNT
No. 5 Duke vs. No. 12 Oral Roberts — March 16, 7:10 p.m., CBS
No. 4 Tennessee vs. No. 13 Louisiana — March 16, 9:40 p.m., CBS
No. 6 Kentucky vs. No. 11 Providence — March 17, 7:10 p.m., CBS
No. 3 Kansas State vs. No. 14 Montana State — March 17, 9:40 p.m., CBS
No. 7 Michigan State vs. No. 10 USC — March 17, 12:15 p.m., CBS
No. 2 Marquette vs. No. 15 Vermont — March 17, 2:45 p.m., CBS
All Times Eastern