“Surprised”: Tom Izzo Makes His Opinion Around Jon Scheyer’s Duke Absolutely Clear Following Michigan State’s Win

Duke walked into Chicago on Tuesday night looking like one of the toughest teams in the country. The Blue Devils were ranked No. 2; they had opened the season with two blowout wins, and they came with one of the deepest rosters in college basketball. Michigan State, ranked No. 5, had other plans. They led from start to finish and won 79-73. Afterward, in an interview, Tom Izzo said something that sounded more like praise for Duke than a victory speech.

“I am a little surprised, ’cause I think they’re a really, really good team, and I feel bad saying that because then it looks like, ‘oh, John didn’t do that,’ you know, what everybody says,” Izzo said.

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“It was our night. We made some plays. They didn’t make some plays. They didn’t make some shots. I’m not betting against them to do a lot of damage this year,” he added.

It also helps to see what the win meant for his own team. Izzo said Michigan State had been trying to get something going and needed a result like this. He said his players were challenged and responded, which is exactly what he likes to see at this time of year. He praised the depth, too.

Tom Izzo’s candid take on Jon Scheyer’s Duke program reveals the competitive fire still burning in East Lansing. Subscribe for insider analysis of college basketball’s biggest coaching storylines.

Plenty of players made plays, he said, including Cameron Ward, who scored 14 points off the bench. He also admitted the team is still shaky at center, and that it is his job to fix it.

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The numbers back up why Izzo was so happy. Michigan State never trailed and led by as many as 14 points. The Spartans made their first four shots and went on an 11-2 run, forcing Jon Scheyer to call a timeout just 2:33 into the game. Duke missed its first eight three-pointers and turned the ball over four times in the first three minutes.

By halftime, the Blue Devils had made just 7-of-27 shots, and Michigan State led 34-25.

The second half was more of the same. Michigan State…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/surprised-tom-izzo-makes-opinion-054430597.html

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Publish date : 2026-11-11 05:44:00

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