Michigan State’s Tom Izzo gets emotional after tying Bob Knight for most Big Ten wins

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Tom Izzo hasn’t been one to shy away from showing emotions in his three decades as head coach for Michigan State — regardless of the situation and location.

That was evident after the ninth-ranked Spartans’ bounce-back win over Oregon on Saturday, which tied the 70-year-old coach with Bob Knight for the Big Ten record for wins at 353.

He will now look to surpass the late Indiana basketball coach against none other than the Hoosiers on Tuesday. After Saturday’s win, Izzo is now 353-172 all-time in Big Ten games and 725-299 overall in 30 seasons at Michigan State.

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Watch Tom Izzo’s emotional postgame speech

Izzo, who has led the Spartans to eight Final Four appearances, got choked up after the come-from-behind win at the Breslin Center Saturday when he addressed the crowd.

“I don’t give a (expletive) about the first half (today). But I do care about all of you for giving me 30 great years,” Izzo said.

He added: “I just want to thank each and every one of you. We’re not done yet, though we’re going to celebrate tonight. I promise you that we’re going to celebrate tonight!”

Behind a game-high 29 points from star freshman Jase Richardson, the son of Michigan State great Jason Richardson, the Spartans got back into the win column after going winless during their two-game West Coast trip out to USC and UCLA.

Izzo took over the Spartans in 1995, building it into one of college basketball’s blue bloods alongside Duke, North Carolina, Kentucky and Kansas. He has led the Spartans to 26 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, 15 Sweet 16 berths, 10 trips to the Elite Eight and eight trips to the Final Four.

At 19-4 on the season, Michigan State looks well on its way to making that 27 consecutive March Madness trips. The Spartans are currently projected as a No. 4 seed in ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi’s latest NCAA Tournament predictions.

Michigan State and Indiana tip off at 9 p.m….

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/michigan-states-tom-izzo-gets-221319081.html

Author : Detroit Free Press

Publish date : 2025-02-08 22:13:00

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