NBA News NBA News, Match Reports and Updates 
[ad_1]
EAST LANSING — Maybe it was the four-day Christmas break spent with his granddaughter, which Tom Izzo called “one of the thrills of my life so far.”
Or his conscious effort to step away from national basketball leadership positions and “worrying about (issues) that I had no — not control over, I don’t want control — I didn’t even have any suggestive power” to focus fully on Michigan State basketball’s players and program.
Having a team that’s 10-2 and continuing to grow its chemistry helps, too.
It all has contributed to a more peaceful Izzo heading into the new year. And when the Spartans reconvened to practice Thursday, Izzo saw all of his players return with the type of energy and effort he demands.
And it made him feel, well, even better.
Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo watches a play against Bowling Green during the first half at Breslin Center in East Lansing on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024.
“Thank God I got all my guys back,” Izzo said after practice Saturday ahead of No. 18 MSU’s home game with Western Michigan. “And I got them back, I think, with a purpose, with a sense of purpose.”
The Spartans host the Broncos (3-8) and former Izzo assistant coach Dwayne Stephens on Monday at Breslin Center (3 p.m., Big Ten Network). MSU returns from a nine-day layoff on a five-game win streak and having won eight of its last nine.
Izzo, who admitted he’s “normally more of a pessimist than an optimist,” pointed to his team’s lack of injuries —making the sign of the cross to try and keep it that way — as a reason for the strong start. He alluded to other programs around the country who tend to lose players to midyear transfers during the holiday season.
In keeping with his new mindset, Izzo doesn’t have those worries with this team. The wheeling and dealings with name, image, likeness and the wider effect of the unlimited stream of transfers hopping from school to school aren’t his concern at the moment. He knows those issues exist, but he also…
[ad_2]Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/tom-izzo-michigan-state-basketball-110618150.html
Author : Detroit Free Press
Publish date : 2024-12-29 11:06:00
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.
