Tom Izzo: Blame me for loss, but Michigan State basketball will be ready next time

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EAST LANSING — Tom Izzo took only a few seconds to point the finger for Michigan State basketball’s Tuesday night loss to Indiana directly at himself.

The 30th-year Hall of Fame coach’s admission after practice Thursday was nothing new. Izzo has preached accountability with his players for years and thrust it onto himself as warranted.

Rewatching the 11th-ranked Spartans’ 71-67 stumble against the Hoosiers, the third loss in MSU’s past four games, only reinforced Izzo’s belief in his role with his team’s struggles against a zone defense and full-court press.

“I took responsibility that night. I take more responsibility (after watching the tape),” Izzo said. “(The Hoosiers) played 4% zone the whole year. They played 90% after we got up 20-8. They adjusted. We adjusted, but we didn’t adjust good enough, and that falls on me.

“I’m the first to, at least behind the scenes, blame a player for something if they didn’t do it. But I also think my job is to put players in a position to be successful. And we fell a little short on that.”

Michigan State’s head coach Tom Izzo, center, talks to the team late during the second half in the game against Indiana on Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025, at the Breslin Center in East Lansing.

RELATED: Michigan State basketball at Illinois tipoff: Matchup analysis and a prediction

MSU (19-5, 10-3 Big Ten) travels to Illinois for a Saturday night showdown at State Farm Arena. Tipoff is 8 p.m. (Fox), with the Spartans looking to sweep the Illini (17-8, 9-6) after a thrilling 80-78 home win Jan. 19.

After building the 12-point lead against Indiana, Izzo’s offense stagnated when the Hoosiers deployed a 2-2-1 full-court press to slow down the Spartans’ fastbreak, and struggled to solve their 2-3 half-court zone with outside shots continuing to draw more iron than net. MSU went 4-for-23 from 3-point range and fell behind by as many as nine points before mounting a furious yet eventually fruitless comeback to get within one as Indiana held on…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/tom-izzo-blame-loss-michigan-134546622.html

Author : Lansing State Journal

Publish date : 2025-02-14 13:45:00

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