Video: Watch Michigan St. Teach Tom Izzo New Dance Moves After Win vs. Duke
Mar 31, 2019
When it comes to his dancing skills, Tom Izzo is a legendary college basketball coach.
Izzo allowed himself to unwind a bit in the locker room as the Michigan State Spartans celebrated a 68-67 win over the Duke Blue Devils in the Elite Eight of the 2019 NCAA men's basketball tournament on Sunday.
— Michigan State Men's Basketball (@MSU_Basketball) April 1, 2019
To his credit, the 64-year-old is well-aware how bad of a dancer he is. That was the focus for a local ad he did for a ladder company in Michigan in 2014.
Michigan State is headed to the national semifinals for the eighth time under Izzo. The Spartans haven't experienced much luck of late in the Final Four, though. They haven't won a national title since 2000, and their last championship appearance came in 2009.
If for nothing else, the opportunity for one more dance routine by Izzo gives the Spartans ample motivation to close out their season with two more victories.
MSU's Tom Izzo on Win vs. Zion Williamson, Duke: 'You've Got to Beat the Best'
Mar 31, 2019
WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 31: Head coach Tom Izzo of the Michigan State Spartans looks on against the Duke Blue Devils during the first half in the East Regional game of the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Capital One Arena on March 31, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
Tom Izzo entered Sunday 1-11 against Duke in his career, but the Michigan State coach led his squad to the Final Four with a 68-67 win over the Blue Devils in the Elite Eight.
The 64-year-old was asked after the game what it meant to get it done against a team he had "struggled" against in his career.
"1-11 is a struggle? No, that's worse than a struggle," Izzo joked. "You know what it is? To be the best, you've got to beat the best, and there's no question they're the best."
Duke was the No. 1 overall seed in the tournament featuring potentially two of the top three picks of the 2019 NBA draft in Zion Williamson and RJ Barrett. However, the Spartans were able to solve them and pull off the impressive upset.
Meanwhile, Izzo is now heading to the eighth Final Four of his career with Michigan State, which began in 1995. It's the first Final Four for the Spartans since 2015.
No. 2 Michigan State Advances to Sweet 16 with Dominant Win vs. No. 10 Minnesota
Mar 23, 2019
DES MOINES, IOWA - MARCH 23: Cassius Winston #5 of the Michigan State Spartans drives to the basket against Dupree McBrayer #1 of the Minnesota Golden Gophers during the first half in the second round game of the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Wells Fargo Arena on March 23, 2019 in Des Moines, Iowa. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
No. 2 Michigan State won a battle of Big Ten schools in the second round of the NCAA men's basketball tournament, earning a 70-50 win over No. 10 Minnesota.
Cassius Winston totaled 13 points, nine assists and two steals in Saturday's win in Des Moines, Iowa, helping the Spartans reach the Sweet 16 for the first time in the last four years. The Big Ten tournament champions continued their success against the rest of their own league, following up on a 24-point win against Minnesota earlier this season.
Amir Coffey did everything he could to help the Golden Gophers with 27 points, but it wasn't enough to keep his team's season alive.
Minnesota was forced to play mostly without double-double machine Jordan Murphy, who dealt with back issues and saw limited action.
It was clear the favorites were taking advantage of Murphy's absence.
Still, 11 Michigan State turnovers in the first half kept it at a 33-19 halftime advantage. The team ended the night with 22 giveaways in a sloppy offensive performance.
Coffey then did everything he could to keep the score close, including this powerful dunk:
The junior finished 8-of-24 from the field, but he was the only player on his team doing anything offensively. He totaled 54 percent of his team's points as well as four of his team's seven assists.
He helped cut the deficit to nine in the second half, but Michigan State was too good to be held down for long.
Winston helped the Spartans pull away with a personal 7-0 run, ending with this fast-break three:
The Big Ten Player of the Year allowed a balanced attack offensively but took control when needed to help the No. 2 seed pull away.
The Spartans struggled with No. 15 Bradley in the first round, trailing late in the second half before holding on for an 11-point win. This performance should have the team feeling much more confident heading into the second weekend.
What's Next?
Michigan State will advance to the Sweet 16 in Washington D.C., where it will face No. 3 LSU on Friday.
MSU's Tom Izzo Slams 'Ridiculous' Criticism of Heated Exchange with Aaron Henry
Mar 22, 2019
Michigan State coach Tom Izzo speaks during a news conference in Des Moines, Iowa, Friday, March 22, 2019, ahead of their second round men's college basketball game against Minnesota in the NCAA Tournament. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)
Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo again addressed his outburst toward Spartans forward Aaron Henry during the team's 76-65 win over No. 15 Bradley on Thursday in the first round of the 2019 NCAA men's basketball tournament.
"To me it was ridiculous the way it blew up," Izzo said Friday, per ESPN.com's Adam Teicher and Ed Aschoff. "There's a 10-second soundbite and a two-year relationship [with Henry]. I just think people don't understand that. This coach relies on relationships with his players I think more than any coach in the country. That's an egotistic or selfish statement, self-proclaimed. But I think it's been earned, and it's been talked about."
During the second half of Thursday's East Region game, the cameras caught Izzo yelling at Henry, so much that Michigan State guard Cassius Winston stepped in to separate the two.
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Winston acknowledged Izzo "can be tough at times" but that his tactics produce results.
"He's hard, but once you figure out what the message is and what he wants for you and from you, it gets a lot easier with him yelling at you," he said. "It's to challenge you to be the best player that you can possibly be. Once you figure it out in that sense, him yelling doesn't bother you."
Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green, who played four years at Michigan State, offered his opinion as well:
Just an FYI. Being in those huddles for years. Cassius and Matt grabbed Iz so he could shut up and move on... after a while you’re just ready for him to draw up the play. Just giving perspective from someone who’s been apart of those huddles.
Izzo declined to apologize and defended his tactic immediately after the game,telling reportersHenry had failed to get back on defense during a sequence in the second half.
Henry finished with eight points and three rebounds in 29 minutes against the Braves. He's averaging 5.5 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game in his first season with the Spartans.
He and his teammates will meet a familiar foe in the second round: Minnesota. The No. 10 Golden Gophers defeated the No. 7 Louisville Cardinals 86-76 to set up a rematch with No. 2 Michigan State. MSU prevailed 79-55 when the teams met Feb. 9 in East Lansing, Michigan.
Draymond Green Gives His Perspective on Tom Izzo Berating Aaron Henry
Mar 22, 2019
Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo directs his team during a first round men's college basketball game against Bradley in the NCAA Tournament, Thursday, March 21, 2019, in Des Moines, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green, who had his share of battles with Tom Izzo during his time at Michigan State, wasn't surprised to see his former coach berate freshman forwardAaron Henry during the team's 79-65 win over Bradley on Thursday.
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Izzo was eventually restrained by Cassius Winston and other Michigan State players when Henry had words of his own for the head coach, a scenario Green said he was familiar with:
Just an FYI. Being in those huddles for years. Cassius and Matt grabbed Iz so he could shut up and move on... after a while you’re just ready for him to draw up the play. Just giving perspective from someone who’s been apart of those huddles.
And the reason he wouldn’t stop is because Aaron Henry kept talking. However, what the world doesn’t know is that Iz loves the kid who will challenge him back more than anything! So there’s some insight For you all!!
After the game, Izzo was asked about the confrontation and said he didn't understand why it was a big deal, per Adam Teicher of ESPN.com:
"What's wrong with challenging a kid that makes some mistakes?. Aaron Henry—trust me—did some things that you can't do as a starter on a top-5 team at the end of your freshman year. They were effort-related. I did get after him. He did respond. He did make a couple of big buckets. He did make some big free throws but that's not good enough. It's one-and-done time. The 'my-bads' are out the window."
The entire situation was met with mixed opinions online:
A lot of the mavericks insisting that Tom Izzo has every right to earhole his unpaid student-athletes would be screaming from the rafters if anything like that ever happened to them.
There are many different tenets to Tom Izzo’s leadership style. Demanding, challenging, fiery, detailed , persevering and confronting come to mind. None bigger though than LOVE. Love wears many different faces and speaks in many different tones. Love is being a Driver and a giver
I'm not getting into a college coaches yelling at kids debate but regardless of your stance on that what Izzo did was lame. That kid obviously had no idea what he did wrong and Izzo still lit into him instead of using it as a teaching moment.
Regardless, the Spartans came away with the win. And based on Green's perspective, it won't be the last fiery exchange between Izzo and one of his players.
Tom Izzo Defends Yelling at Aaron Henry During Michigan State's Win vs. Bradley
Mar 21, 2019
DES MOINES, IOWA - MARCH 21: Head coach Tom Izzo of the Michigan State Spartans glares at Aaron Henry #11 after a play during their game in the First Round of the NCAA Basketball Tournament against the Bradley Braves at Wells Fargo Arena on March 21, 2019 in Des Moines, Iowa. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo defended himself after cameras showed him yelling at Spartans forward Aaron Henry during the second half of Thursday's win over Bradley in the 2019 NCAA men's basketball tournament.
During a stoppage in play, Izzo began chastising Henry, so much so that MSU guard Cassius Winston stepped in to hold Izzo back.
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"What's wrong with challenging a kid that makes some mistakes?" Izzo said after the game, per ESPN.com's Adam Teicher. "Aaron Henry—trust me—did some things that you can't do as a starter on a top-five team at the end of your freshman year. They were effort-related."
According to Teicher, Izzo was upset with Henry after he didn't get back on defense quickly enough during a sequence in the second half.
Opinions toward Izzo were mixed on social media after he laid into his player:
Tom Izzo goes at one of his players, Aaron Henry, so hard during Michigan State-Bradley that Izzo has to be restrained. But the guys on TV tell us it's okay, because the coach just loves his players so much.
I often cite Izzo as a prime example of a coach who gets on his players but remains effective because he takes so much time off the court to talk and listen and tell them he loves them. There's a reason his guys play so hard and his teams win so much. https://t.co/b5fgY988cq
Fact is, whether you agree w/ his style or not, this is the way it is at MSU. What happened is no different than a game at Breslin. It just happened to be on CBS during the first day of the NCAAT and turned into a meme. You can dislike Izzo's manner but this wasn't an "incident." https://t.co/CKtoR0qrnR
The 6'6", 210-pound forward downplayed the significance of Izzo's outburst.
"I've heard worse from him," he said, per Teicher. "I've got it worse in practice before."
The freshman, ranked as a3-starprospect by 247Sports out of Indianapolis, finished with eight points and three rebounds in 29 minutes on the floor.
The Spartans are acquainted with their opponent in the second round. The 10th-seeded Minnesota Golden Gophers defeated the Louisville Cardinals 86-76 to advance out of the first round.
Video: Watch Tom Izzo's Meltdown at Michigan State's Aaron Henry in Huddle
Mar 21, 2019
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The second-seeded Michigan State Spartans faced a stiff test from the No. 15 Bradley Braves on Thursday in the first round of the 2019 NCAA men's basketball tournament.
The stress appeared to get to Spartans head coach Tom Izzo.
Heading into a timeout, Izzo unleashed a verbal barrage at forward Aaron Henry in the second half of his team's 76-65 victory.
The Spartans trailed by one at halftime and shot only 26.3 percent from three-point range on the day. They needed a late burst to put away the Braves in the East Region.
It wasn't the blowout win the Big Ten champions may have been expecting, and Izzo wasn't pleased with his freshman forward.
Henry finished with eight points on 3-of-7 shooting, but he had five turnovers and missed both of his three-point attempts.
Fortunately for Henry, Michigan State advanced and will face the No. 10 seed Minnesota Golden Gophers in the round of 32.
Magic Johnson Picks His Final Four Teams for 2019 March Madness Tournament
Mar 21, 2019
Former players on Michigan State's 1979 national championship team, including Magic Johnson, front row from left, Greg Kelser, Ron Charles and Terry Donnelly are honored at halftime of an NCAA college basketball game between Minnesota and Michigan State, Saturday, Feb. 9, 2019, in East Lansing, Mich. Michigan State won 79-55. (AP Photo/Al Goldis)
Forty years ago, Magic Johnson captivated the country as his Michigan State team took on Larry Bird's Indiana State squad in the highest-rated college basketball game in history.
Magic's still a true Spartan to this day.
The Los Angeles Lakers president of basketball operations told Bleacher Report he's picking Michigan State, North Carolina, Gonzaga and Tennessee to be in the 2019 Final Four. Johnson spoke with B/R as part of Champion's 100-year anniversary campaign and wanted to highlight the strength of teams, which he says have given him the "ability to share diverse thoughts, collaborate with, and support others."
Johnson played at Michigan State from 1977 to 1979, winning the national championship and Final Four Most Outstanding Playerin his final season. His rivalry with Bird helped foster the excitement that's created the multibillion-dollar March Madness craze, and the duo went on to have a legendary NBA rivalry that arguably helped save the Association during its darkest days.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBeXZjRTFRQ
"During that time there were only a few stations on TV and one primetime sporting event per day," Johnson said. "I remember the hype around the matchup and how it became Magic versus Bird beyond Michigan State versus Indiana State. Even then, I don't think at the time I could conceptualize how monumental that moment would be because I was only focused on our opponent and one game at a time. It was surreal to be a part of that game and the MSU team. I will always be able to say I beat Larry Bird for an NCAA national championship."
Johnson's Michigan State team is the No. 2 seed in the East region and will have to get past Duke to make it to Minneapolis. His other slight upset, South region No. 2 seed Tennessee, indicates Johnson doesn't expect Virginia to make a Final Four run to atone for becoming the first No. 1 to lose to a 16 seed last year.
MSU's Kyle Ahrens Suffers Ankle Injury vs. Michigan; X-Rays Come Back Negative
Mar 17, 2019
A medical personnel took talks to Michigan State's Kyle Ahrens, left, as Ahrens was the taken out of the court for injury during the first half of an NCAA college basketball championship game against Michigan in the Big Ten Conference tournament, Sunday, March 17, 2019, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
The action in Sunday's Big Ten championship game between rivals Michigan and Michigan State took a temporary backseat when Spartans swingman Kyle Ahrens suffered a scary ankle injury.
Fortunately, good news followed, as MLive.com's Kyle Austin reported X-rays were negative for a fracture.
According to Mike DeFabo of the Lansing State Journal, Ahrens' father, Kevin, said his son will undergo an MRI on what doctors think is a bad sprain.
"First time something went right on an X-ray," he said.
The scene on the court grew emotional as Ahrens left on a stretcher:
This is terrible to see with Kyle Ahrens. Kid has been through so much. Now crying and leaving the court on a stretcher. This is absolutely brutal.
Ahrens had three points on 1-of-2 shooting from deep before the injury and returned to the sideline on crutches in the second half.
The redshirt junior has suffered a number of injuries throughout his career.Brendan Quinnof The Athletic delved into the history and noted he broke his thumb, wrist, tibia and fibula in high school before playing through stress fractures during various portions of his Michigan State career. He also underwent season-ending foot surgery that cut short his 2017-18 campaign for the Spartans.
Ahrens averaged 4.8 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.1 assists on 44.1 percent shooting from the field and 28.8 percent shooting from three-point range, and he helped lead the Spartans to a share of the Big Ten regular-season title with the Purdue Boilermakers.
Michigan State figures to receive a favorable seed when the selection committee reveals the bracket. ESPN's Joe Lunardiprojected it as a No. 2 seed in the West Regional.
No. 6 MSU Upset by Unranked Indiana; Justin Smith Drops 24 Points
Mar 2, 2019
PISCATAWAY, NJ - JANUARY 30: Justin Smith #3 of the Indiana Hoosiers in action against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights during a game at Rutgers Athletic Center on January 30, 2019 in Piscataway, New Jersey. Rutgers defeated Indiana 66-58. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
The unranked Indiana Hoosiers erased a seven-point halftime deficit Saturday to score a crucial 63-62 victory over the No. 6 Michigan State Spartans at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Indiana.
Justin Smith led the upset charge with 24 points for the Hoosiers, who should resurface on the NCAA tournament bubble despite a lackluster 6-12 Big Ten record.
Meanwhile, MSU's bid to earn a No. 1 seed took a serious hit. Cassius Winston posted 20 points and 11 assists as the Spartans dropped to 23-6.
Indiana (15-14) opened the season 12-2, including a 3-0 mark in conference play, before Archie Miller's squad went into a free fall.
The Hoosiers lost 12 of their next 13 games to fade to the fringe of the NCAA tournament discussion. That said, their only win during that span was against Michigan State in overtime on the road, which is one of the best victories any team in the country has on its resume.
Their sweep of the Spartans, along with wins over the Wisconsin Badgers, Louisville Cardinals and Marquette Golden Eagles, gives IU a lot of high points for the selection committee to consider.
Many people won't like it, but it's time to accept it:
Indiana is comfortably in the at-large discussion.
Michigan State is a lock for the Big Dance, but its case to emerge from the muddled race for the final top seed behind the Virginia Cavaliers, Gonzaga Bulldogs and Duke Blue Devils isn't as strong as it was before Saturday.
The Spartans do have a regular-season game against the rival Michigan Wolverines left. A win there combined with a Big Ten tournament title could still push them onto the No. 1 line on Selection Sunday.
Michigan State has a 1 seed ceiling, but not a 1 seed profile. 1 seeds simply do not lose this many games to non-protected seeds, much less non-tournament teams, which Indiana probably shouldn’t be @HoopsHD
