Tom Izzo reflects on tying Jim Boeheim with 4th-most NCAA Tournament wins

Tom Izzo is a familiar face in the NCAA Tournament as has Michigan State on yet another run to the Sweet Sixteen this season. With the Spartans’ second-round win against New Mexico on Sunday, he continued to improve his place in the record books by tying former Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim for the fourth-most tournament wins of all-time.

Izzo was asked about the achievement following the 71-63 victory against the Lobos. Although he said he appreciated being in the same company as a legendary coach like Boeheim, he also alluded to the fact that chasing a championship is what’s most important to him.

“Jim Boeheim’s a friend too and he’s won a lot of games, man,” Izzo said. “He’s won a lot more games than I have. Thank God in the tournament I’ve been fortunate. Any time you can accomplish something with your team and your coaches that some of the most respected guys and coaches in college basketball have achieved, that’s a privilege and an honor. I’ve just never seen any banners hung for those kind of things and I’m kind of a banner guy. So until that happens, I’ll enjoy it, but I won’t do cartwheels over it.”

This marks Michigan State’s 16th appearance in the Sweet Sixteen under Izzo with a 10-5 record in the previous 15 games. The Spartans have made 27 consecutive NCAA Tournaments, which is the longest active streak in the NCAA.

However, despite reaching the Final Four eight times, Izzo has only one championship. That came 25 years ago in 2000 and he is surely hungry to add another banner to his name.

This year’s Spartans team entered as a No. 2 seed, which was their highest rank since 2019. They overcame shooting just 26.7% from 3-point range in the win against New Mexico over the weekend.

Michigan State moves on to face Ole Miss in the Sweet Sixteen where it will look to further add to Tom Izzo’s NCAA Tournament victory number. Tip-off for that contest is set for 7:09 p.m. ET on Friday.

“I’m not proving anything in the NCAA tournament,” Izzo said prior to the start of the first round. “I’m hoping to continue to win games but I’m smart enough to know, and I think most of you are, because the reason it’s called one and done is because one bad minute and you’re out.

“The NBA doesn’t have that, the NFL doesn’t have that, major league baseball doesn’t have that, football doesn’t have that. That’s what makes college basketball and the NCAA tournament… I’m not trying to validate anything. I’m not trying to say, ‘Here, I’m not dead yet.’ I’m still relevant. I have a good team.”