Tom Izzo gives honest take on potential NCAA Tournament expansion: 'I hope they do what's right'

Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo gave an honest take on NCAA Tournament expansion, should it come around. There’s been talk of 72 or 76 teams, an increase of the current 68.

However, Izzo might not be too keen on the idea. The Spartans’ coach weighed the pros and cons of letting too many teams in or not allowing enough deserving teams in.

There’s also the Cinderella factor. That argument has its own pros and cons list as well, as Izzo described Monday.

“I was involved in a lot of things. I was on a lot of committees, but these last couple of things that have happened, I’ve kind of just decided I care about the game a lot,” Izzo said on Pardon My Take. “I’m not really putting enough time in to figure out what’s right. I hope they do what’s right for basketball, what’s right for the players in the game, and not just for money or something else. I hope it’s, you know, the best interest of basketball. And I don’t know what that would be until I really sat down and observed it.” 

Basketball is special for Izzo when you talk about the Cinderella factor. Football’s playoff expanded, but it’s to have that underdog make quite a run.

“There’s some younger coaches out there that I really respect that are on some of these committees that I think will fight those fights, and in the meantime, I’m gonna just, they want my opinion. I give my opinion, and you’re gonna say, ‘Well, what’s your opinion?’ I worry if they expand it too much,” Izzo said.

“It’s tough because we have Cinderella. You know, football doesn’t have Cinderella. I mean, I’ve been beaten by a 15, right? You know, my good friend, Tony Bennett, you know, was beaten by a 16, you know? I mean, it happens. In football, that will never happen, because that team will never be in there. So the more you expand it, the more those kinds of things happen, which you guys all like the first day, but TV doesn’t like it the second round.”

Izzo said the first round upsets are great, but noted how television would react to mid-major teams advancing far, compared to the blue bloods and Power Four. Is it all about the money?

“So it’s always fun and exciting for you guys. And meanwhile, I’m sitting at home ready to, you know, whatever, but I do respect the little guys too,” Izzo said. “Because I was a Division II guy to start with, and I have great respect for Cinderella, I have great respect for what VCU did back when Shaka was there. I was pulling for him. But now that I’m on this side, it’s scary, you know, we face Middle Tennessee State, for example. And we were really good. And Denzel Valentine, and I thought that team could make it to a Final Four, and we were, I think No. 1 in the country defensively. 

“I think they shot 58% in the field and 54% from the three, right? I mean, they just beat us, and that was kind of bone crushing, you know? I don’t know what I hope for. I don’t want it to be too watered down, and yet, I want everybody to get a chance that deserves a chance.”