Tom Izzo wanted to make people comfortable following tragedy

On Tuesday, Michigan State picked up an 80-65 victory over Indiana. Still, the university was reeling from the tragic shooting that happened earlier in the month on its campus. After the game, Spartan’s head coach Tom Izzo revealed that his main goal on the night was to try making people comfortable following the tragedy.

“I swear to you, I was just happy for our people; I really was. I was happy for our team, but I was happier for our students,” said Izzo. “You know, some of them are scared to go back into the classroom. Some of them are worried about going into the dorm. I tried to walk the campus today… I just want to make people feel comfortable. And I thought here’s one two-hour period where maybe they forgot about all the things that they’ve had to deal with, and they got a chance to enjoy.

“And that’s what sports sometimes can do; it doesn’t take away all the pain, but it’s like a little aspirin, maybe for a couple of hours. So, I was just thinking of those people, and I just kept looking up at that top row… I think it was our marketing people that did a hell of a job, our fans did a hell of a job, and our players did. Those are the people that deserve all the credit on this.”

Michigan State was able to briefly gather everyone’s attention on the floor for the night when they knocked off the No. 17 ranked Indiana. But while the men’s basketball team and those around it were able to help put some individuals’ minds and hearts at ease, Izzo does not want you to forget about his team as well. His players are also members of the university’s community and are doing their best to navigate this difficult time as well.

“I hope, you know, somehow appreciate what the players did because everybody talks about how hard it’s been on everybody. Well, players still had to go to class, had to go into some of those places, had to come here and practice. They felt some of the weight. I mean, I didn’t mince words; I did feel like we were playing for our community, for our alums. I always feel that way, but this took on a whole new meaning of it. And then, we’re playing for three people that aren’t with us anymore and five that are fighting for their lives. That’s good if it’s from your heart, but it’s hard when it’s on your shoulders.

“A couple of times in the pregame talk, I saw guys, and I jumped them a little bit. And I said, it’s going to be 40 minutes of focus tonight; I think what I was happiest about is we talked about that in the huddle at Michigan. We got to finish the job, finish the job, stay focused, stay focused, stay focused. Easier said than done. But everybody, everybody in our building, from our secretaries to our managers to our student secretaries to our trainers; everybody in the building. I think we tried to rally everybody because everybody’s going through a tough time. And I’m hoping and praying that tonight was that little break.

“And, I appreciate all of you.”