Tom Izzo’s record win a perfect ode to his Michigan State basketball blueprint

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CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — There might have been more important victories the past 30 years. A national championship and eight total Final Four appearances will do that. So will 10 Big Ten regular season and six postseason titles.

When Tom Izzo eventually looks back over his Hall of Fame career, though, there may not be one more representative of the Michigan State basketball program he has built than Saturday night at Illinois.

On the road. Expletive after expletive hurled at him and his players from the moment they stepped onto the State Farm Arena court. A 16-point deficit a little more than 11 minutes into the game.

Not giving up. Scrapping and clawing for loose balls and rebounds. Locking in defensively.

An epic comeback. A pivotal victory in the hunt for another conference championship. And another milestone moment for Izzo.

“I didn’t think we played that well early,” Izzo said after the 11th-ranked Spartans’ 79-65 rally, making him the Big Ten’s all-time winningest coach in league play. “And then when we got rolling, we just kept rolling. … I’m going to sure as hell enjoy that ride home.”

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The win was Izzo’s 354th in conference play over his 30 years, which breaks a tie with Bob Knight for the most in Big Ten history. The Spartans (20-5, 11-3 Big Ten) lost Izzo’s first opportunity to claim the record alone with a 71-67 loss Tuesday to Indiana, Knight’s former program.

Izzo felt the sting of that defeat, calling it “one of my lowest in my career because of the way we played.” His players were united that they wanted to make the record happen as quickly as possible, knowing how difficult it is to win at Illinois (17-9, 9-7).

“It’s a very special moment,” said freshman Jase Richardson, who had 11 points. “He’s worked really hard for this over the past 30 years, and it’s kind of been just like this huge thing for him. We wanted to…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/tom-izzos-record-win-perfect-155211713.html

Author : Lansing State Journal

Publish date : 2025-02-16 15:52:00

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