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Michigan St.'s Tom Izzo is col Michigan St.'s Tom Izzo is college basketball's best coach, bar none

From: sparty
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Michigan St. is in the Final Four despite injuries and a myriad of other issues

Izzo has taken six teams to the Final Four, as top seeds and underdogs

Overall, Izzo's now 35-11 in the NCAA tournament, a .761 winning percentage

Andy Glockner INSIDE COLLEGE BASKETBALL SI.com

ST. LOUIS -- In the aftermath of Michigan State's pulsating 70-69 win over Tennessee that sent the Spartans to the Final Four, Mr. March held court in the center of a rapidly emptying locker room. Predictably, Tom Izzo tried to find as many other people as possible to credit for the Spartans' latest trip to basketball's holy land. In no particular order, he mentioned his current players, a currently injured player, a former player who is now on his staff, a former player who is a Hall of Fame point guard and the program's 13 (yes, 13) managers.

Here's a newsflash, Tom: The guys who pick up the towels are not the reason your team, with three starters carrying various degrees of debilitating leg injuries, is improbably headed to Indianapolis. You are.

This is not the time to spread the credit around or mince words. After the fifth-seeded Spartans' latest remarkable March march, which included four wins by a total of 13 points to nab the program's sixth Final Four appearance in 12 seasons, it is time to state the truth.

Tom Izzo is the best college basketball coach in America.

Relax, North Carolina and Duke fans. No one's slighting your leading men or their career accomplishments. We're talking about right now, this very moment, two days after Izzo pulled off the near-impossible and made Michigan State's three-year turn-of-last-decade run now look more like the rule rather than the exception.

Think last season's dramatic push to the national title game in Detroit with a youthful roster was stirring? This year's Spartans have overcome a leadership void, player-coach discontent and a back-stiffening gym-floor sleepover in addition to the late rash of injuries. Their quartet of NCAA tournament wins are highlighted by a crucial lane violation, a buzzer-beating three and the country's largest temporary (and most loquacious) point guard dropping a delicious dime that helped beat Tennessee.

And let's be honest: On the list of legendary college basketball settings, how long after Westwood, Lawrence, Chapel Hill and Durham would it take to finally get to East Lansing? Izzo doesn't get enough credit for the level of talent he brings in, considering he's selling kids on winters in central Michigan. Meanwhile, RoyWilliams' office phone has a golden arches insignia on it.

It's almost enough to provide the framework for a hokey movie plot, except Izzo's coaching style and success are so boringly predictable, what would the poster even look like?

One man ... rallies a team of rag-tag youths to glory ... by extolling the virtues of rebounding ... and defense.

"... [One] of the hungriest, humblest people who achieved as much in their business as anyone I can imagine ... " -- Bruce Pearl, Tennessee coach.

"... He's the best in the nation when it comes to the NCAA tournament. He has his team always prepared, they always are ready ..." -- Magic Johnson, former Michigan State star, 1979 national champion.

"... Seriously, I've gotten way too much credit for [these Final Fours]. It's the players that do it ..." -- Tom Izzo, praise-deflecting metronome.

Wait, how did that last one get in there? That's not going to make people want to beware the Izz of March, but that's part of what makes the man The Man.

OK, if he's not going to brag about his work when the lights are brightest, these bullets will do it for him:

• He's now the second coach in the 64-team era to make getting to the Final Four a coin flip over a 12-year span, after Duke's Mike Krzyzewski.

• He now has more Final Fours than any active coach other than Coach K (11) and Roy Williams (7), and has done it in 15 seasons, for a 40 percent success rate. That matched Krzyzewski's Final Four yield before Sunday's win over Baylor ... if you ignored his first 10 seasons as a head coach before making his initial trip in 1986. Roy's seven appearances are in 21 eligible seasons, or 33 percent of the time.

• Overall, Izzo is now 35-11 in the NCAA tournament, a .761 winning percentage that places him snugly between Coach K and Williams in second place for all active coaches.

• He's now 16-3 on the second day of an NCAA tournament weekend and 6-1 in Elite Eight games, making him a better closer than Mariano Rivera.

• He can do it as the chalk or as the dog. All three times Izzo's team was a No. 1 seed, it made the Final Four. This is the second time he's done it as a 5-seed.

For his next trick, Mr. March meets Hoosiers 2, and we get one of the most absurd coaching tales-of-the-tape in Final Four history.

In one corner, there's Izzo with his six-in-12. In the other, there's Butler's Brad Stevens, who looks like he's 12. Izzo's national title team in 2000 was built around the Flintstones. Stevens' TV watching schedule in 2000 was built around the Flintstones. Heck, when Izzo took over at Michigan State in 1995 from fellow legend Jud Heathcote, he could have recruited Stevens, who graduated from D-III DePauw in 1999 and was Butler's team manager a decade ago.

And here's the hoot: Michigan State is a 1.5-point underdog. To a mid-major. It's hard to believe anyone at this point bets against Izzo, let alone should get points to take him. If form holds, the streets will once again flow with the blood of the nonbelievers.

If he does win that one, Izzo may get a chance to definitively settle the current pound-for-pound title fair and square with a title-game triumph over Duke. With all due respect to Williams, whose Tar Heels blasted past the Spartans on the way to national titles in both 2005 and 2009, Izzo's never gone 5-11 in the Big Ten. So keep your eyes peeled on the sidelines this weekend, because the best college basketball coach in the land will be in action at the Final Four. And, yes, Mike Krzyzewski will be there, too.
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6 months ago
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Izzo plays best for the home t Izzo plays best for the home team

From: sparty
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By Gerry Ahern, Yahoo! Sports

EAST LANSING, Mich. – Tom Izzo isn’t going to Oregon. He’d be crazy to go to the New Jersey Nets. He shouldn’t go anywhere and here’s why: Because he is the perfect fit at Michigan State and he couldn’t duplicate his success in Eugene, Newark or any other city, college or pro.

Izzo has become the preeminent college coach of the past decade because he owns the state of Michigan and its fertile pipeline of players. A native of Iron Mountain in the Upper Peninsula, he can supplement his homegrown crop with a guy or two from outside as necessary.

And once those players get to MSU, he knows how to motivate them and get the most out of them. He’s done it time and again, perhaps never better than how he managed to take this season’s team to the Final Four.

“It was great coaching,” said Goran Suton, a standout on last year’s Spartans who made it to the national title game against North Carolina. “With handling all the adversity and injuries, it’s unbelievable that they have gone this far.

“I wish I was still on the team.”
Tom Izzo has taken Michigan State to six Final Fours, and the latest trip may be his most impressive coaching job yet.

Suton, who now plays professionally for Spartak in Russia, is right in his reverence. Look at what Izzo has done under less-than-perfect circumstances this March.

• Star point guard Kalin Lucas goes out with a season-ending Achilles tendon injury in the first half against Maryland, and in comes Korie Lucious, a sophomore reserve. Lucious looks more than comfortable running the show, hitting clutch jumpers to cap tournament wins over Maryland and Northern Iowa.

• Izzo sends Durrell Summers to the bench multiple times during the regular season and in the Big Ten tournament, but when he needs scoring punch and defense in the NCAAs, he picks him up and has him scoring at a 20-point per game clip and guarding like a madman.

• Delvon Roe tears the meniscus in his right knee in February, but keeps logging 20-plus minutes, keeps banging the boards. Why? Because he wants to prove he can contribute and tough it out.

• Chris Allen tears a ligament in his right foot, but is willing to drag it around and knock down some 3-pointers to keep the opponent honest.

• Raymar Morgan struggles with consistency, but scores the game-winning points at crunch time in two tournament games.

• Draymond Green helps direct the offense, makes smart passes, rebounds and defends with vigor, all while coming off the bench.

The list goes on and on.

“He is gonna try to get the last little bit you got,” Summers said of Izzo. “You can be tongue hanging out of your mouth dying, and he’s still gonna try to get a little bit more out of you. I think that’s what makes him special at this time of year.”

Would Izzo have that kind of depth, that kind of heart at Oregon or anywhere else on a year-to-year basis? Would the pros in New Jersey respond to his stomping, prodding, in-your-face approach? It seems unlikely.

Phil Knight and Oregon have all that Nike money to toss around. The soon-to-be deep-pocketed Nets, under Russian owner Mikhail Prokhorov, could up the ante. But Izzo already pulls in more than $3 million a year at MSU and is under contract through 2016. His boss, athletic director Mark Hollis, happens to be one of his closest friends.

As successful as Izzo has been – 364-145 record, six Final Fours and a national championship over 15 seasons – there will always be interest in his skills. It has become a rite of spring in mid-Michigan. There was the dalliance with the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks in 2000, the Kentucky job in 2007, then again last year. Now, the reported interest from Oregon and from the Nets.

Izzo is worthy of all the attention and overtures because he is so good at what he does. He is driven by how to do things his way, the right way. He loathes those who try to take shortcuts. At 55, he has said he doesn’t plan to coach into his golden years, as did his predecessor and mentor Jud Heathcote. His plan is to retire in time to enjoy some of what he has worked so hard for.

Doesn’t sound like a man interested in a rebuilding project.

Izzo reiterated Tuesday that he hasn’t been contacted by Oregon. He scoffed at the report, asking why the school would tell a TV reporter of its coaching search strategy. He noted that a week ago, Minnesota’s Tubby Smith was reportedly the leading candidate for the job. He’s done this dance so many times before.

“I’ve been fortunate that my name does come up for some jobs because that’s a privilege, not a right,” Izzo said. “Yet it always comes at a bad time as far as distractions. I can only promise you guys that this will not be one. I am going to put everything I can into trying to bring this university its third crystal ball and that is all I’m doing.

“As long as they want to keep me, I plan on being here.”

To a man his players said they pay no attention to the buzz. Just the type of response they would have been coached to give.

“I think what most of them hope is it’s a pro job because they think I’d be dumb enough to take them,” Izzo said jokingly. “I already told a couple of them, ‘I had you for two or three or four years, you think if I took a pro job I’d take you with me for more pain for another three or four years?’

“We laugh about it.”

Izzo is known to show a sense of humor with his team. He can also chew hide with the best of them. His tough-love tactics wouldn’t play in the NBA. Mega-millionaires generally tune out plain-old multi-millionaires. The pro game is much more about the guys who wear the uniforms, not the suits.

It’s just the opposite in college ball. The people known by one name aren’t Kobe and LeBron. They are Krzyzewski and Izzo.

Geographically speaking, a move to another college town makes little sense.

Izzo’s ability to recruit the likes of Detroit, Flint and Saginaw wouldn’t help him as much in another region. He joked last week about telling his best friend, former NFL coach Steve Mariucci, that he never had to change his driver’s license.

There’s probably a part of the hyper-competitive Izzo that would like to prove wrong those who say a “college coach” can’t get it done in the Association. He certainly silenced those who questioned his hiring as Heathcote’s replacement back in 1995. All he’s done since is wallpaper the Breslin Center with Big Ten title banners and Final Four flags.

With two more victories, he could add more national championship bling to the trophy case.

Then there’s the ultra-promising future in East Lansing. Lucas had successful surgery Tuesday and will likely return next season. Summers is expected back as well along with Roe, Allen, Green and Lucious. The only key loss is Morgan, a graduating senior.

And in comes center Adreian Payne of Dayton, Ohio, guard Keith Appling of Detroit, forward Russell Byrd of Fort Wayne, Ind., and forward Alex Gauna of Eaton Rapids, Mich. That’s a five-star, a four-star and two three-star recruits, respectively, according to Rivals.com.

“What he has built here is a legacy,” Suton said. “He can beat any record out there staying here. I think it’s more of a pride thing than a money thing. But I can’t speak for him. I don’t think he’s leaving. I don’t think he ever will.”

So relax Michigan State fans.

Tom Izzo should be staying.

That’s what’s best for him and best for you.
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6 months ago
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2010 Final Four 2010 Final Four

From: sparty
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Hello Spartans - Is anybody making the trip to Indy? Does anyone have any tips on lodging and or good bars in the city? GO GREEN
6 months ago
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