Michigan State’s Tom Izzo relieved after ‘one of the most anxious days of my career’
East Lansing, Mich. – Tom Izzo was sweating it out, just like the rest of you. And when Michigan State learned that it had earned a No. 9 seed in the West Region, extending the program’s consecutive appearance streak in the NCAA Tournament to 26 games, the Spartan head coach enjoyed a sigh of relief and a big smile.
Just like the rest of you.
“It was one of the most anxious days of my career,” Izzo said, smiling, completely human and obviously relieved as he took the podium on Sunday night for Michigan State’s Selection Sunday press conference. “I’m just happy. The uncertainty is over.”
Izzo has coached in 25 NCAA Tournaments, 78 NCAA Tournament games, eight Final Fours and 15 Sweet 16s. He’s experienced a ton as one of the most famous figures from one of America’s great sporting events. But this weekend marked new territory for him.
He has had teams that were kind of on the bubble on Selection Sunday in the past, but nothing approaching the uncertainty that he experienced on March 17, 2024.
“Sitting back and waiting is really something,” Izzo said. “I haven’t had to do it that many times. You can’t do anything about it.”
He felt a new level of nerves this Selection Sunday.
“It’s different than waiting for a big game,” he said. “It’s waiting for your future.
“When I found out we weren’t in Dayton (for the First Four play-in games), I said, ‘Uh-oh,’” Izzo said. “Does that mean we’re not in? All or nothing?
“Then of course they would have it so that we were in almost the last bracket (revealed).”
Then came the name Michigan State, paired with No. 8 seed Mississippi State in First Round of the West Regional in Charlotte, NC.
“This one was a little more strange, but it was all sweeter once it happened,” Izzo said. “As they say, when you go through it and it’s nerve-racking and you come out of it on the right side, you have a better appreciation for it.”
In the other half of the bracket, No. 1 seed North Carolina will await the winner of Wagner and Howard in a play-in game.
“Now we’re playing and we’ve got Mississippi State, and after a nerve-racking, crazy night, it’s time to go to work,” Izzo said. “I’ve already gotten texts from three buddies of mine in the league (SEC), and they say, ‘Very tough team,’ and ‘Bring your hard hat.’”
Izzo said he had seen Mississippi State play a few times this season, but didn’t know enough about them to comment further. He planned his usual all-nighter with his staff to break down film and prepare for the Bulldogs, who went 21-13 and finished 8-10 in the SEC.
‘IT ACTUALLY FELT REFRESHING’
Michigan State played in the First Four during the COVID-shortened season of 2021 as a No. 11 seed. But there was less drama that year, because the brackets were less-shaken by conference tournament upsets, bid stealing and seed shifting.
“From all these years, there have been two or three when I had to sweat it out a little bit,” Izzo said. “I wouldn’t have sweated this one out any more than the others, until last night.”
When North Carolina State and Oregon staged upsets in winning their conference tournaments, it knocked two bubble teams out of the NCAA Tournament and knocked previously-safe teams like Michigan State into worry mode.
New Mexico winning the Mountain West took the Lobos off the bubble and put them in. The bubble tightened. And Dayton’s loss in the Atlantic 10 Tournament earlier in the week suddenly made that conference a two-bid league.
Izzo didn’t expect the weekend to be this anxious.
“This is how goofy I am, I thought after we beat Northwestern at home, at least most of the people I talked to thought we were in,” Izzo said. “Then we beat Minnesota (at the Big Ten Tournament) and I felt even better.”
Izzo attended a high school state championship game on Saturday at Breslin Center, doing some recruiting of Trey McKenney of Orchard Lake St. Mary’s. Then Izzo went to the Michigan State hockey game on Saturday night. He was happy and somewhat content to be in East Lansing, with his team, practicing and resting, getting ready for his 26th NCAA Tournament.
“I did feel like we were in,” Izzo said. “And then watching TV at 10 o’clock last night over a friend’s house, all the sudden it popped up: bubble team. And that ended the sleep. I got up this morning and tried to make some calls to try to figure some things out.”
He didn’t know much more than the rest of us. Now that it’s over, and the process ended somewhat happily, Izzo smiled about some of the things he learned about other people.
In recent years, Izzo has allowed media to be in the room with the players and coaches when the brackets were revealed. Not this year. Izzo had athletic director Alan Haller with him, and new president Kevin Guskiewicz, and not many others.
“I just didn’t know how it was going to go, if you want the truth,” Izzo said.
Izzo hated the anxiety, but liked the way his players responded when MSU’s name was called.
“To my surprise, the cheers and the clapping, it actually felt refreshing,” Izzo said, “because we have done it so many times that sometimes we take it for granted. I know deep down what it meant to me. And I think watching and listening, it meant more to them than sometimes I think. That was actually a plus, if you want the truth. I just wish I had gotten more sleep last night.”
Izzo learned that being .500 in the Big Ten and playing teams such as Arizona, Baylor, Duke and even Indiana State, Butler and James Madison padded the Spartans’ resumé despite an unsightly 19-14 overall record.
“The hardest part of the uncertainty is getting the criteria down,” Izzo said. “You, probably like me, have no idea what it is. I felt good about the NET, if you believe in the NET. I felt good about the strength of schedule. You just never know which one is valid.
“The only thing I feel really good about is for 29 years we have tried to schedule some of the best non-conference teams. It’s a little different his year when you look at Butler and we don’t even get any credit for it. And Oakland, I’m so proud of (Greg) Kampe. And Indiana State, they miss getting in by an eyelash, and the reason they missed was the bizarre day yesterday brought. That’s what caused all the anxiety last night.”
In November, friends who used to be in the coaching profession told Izzo he was crazy to have Indiana State on the schedule. Indiana State came into Breslin Center with an 11-1 record and was one of the best 3-point shooting teams in the country. Michigan State managed an 87-75 victory over Indiana State in what history will show was a crucial victory in getting the Spartans into the NCAA Tournament. Indiana State went 28-6, but lost to Drake in the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament Championship Game.
That game was a challenge, and proved to be a valuable victory. In the end, Michigan State wasn’t one of the last four that made the NCAA Tournament. The selection committee had Michigan State ahead of Boise State, Colorado, Virginia and Colorado State. Michigan State wasn’t as precariously on the bubble as many pundits were reporting.
Back in December, Izzo jokingly said he was angry with Kevin Pauga, Michigan State’s Associate Athletic Director/Strategic Initiatives & Conference Planning. Pauga is an expert on NCAA Tournament metrics and tries to help Izzo schedule accordingly. Izzo wasn’t sure the test against Indiana State was worth the hassle at the time. But Michigan State’s scheduling, in general, helped the Spartans have a strong NET ranking throughout the year. Pauga turned out to be right.
“Every time I’m about to kill K.P. and get rid of our very tough non-conference schedule, something rears its head to say, ‘Keep doing what you’ve been doing and it will work out,’” Izzo said.
Izzo’s closest confidantes left him alone on Sunday.
“I didn’t hear from many people today,” he said. “Usually I’m hearing from everybody. Then it was just great to see the name (on the bracket). Then Draymond (Green), and Mateen and Antonio, right down the list.”
The congratulatory texts started rolling in.
“It’s so cool to be at a place where they are so excited for you, and for the program and for the players,” Izzo said. “God, I loved that. It’s why I have never left.”
Michigan State coach Tom Izzo. (Photo by Junfu Han | USA Today Network)
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