Michigan State basketball coach will tell you, there’s an element of changing with the times.
But when his Spartans (29-6) take the court for their Sweet 16 matchup against Ole Miss (24-11) at State Farm Arena (TV: 7:09 p.m., CBS), Izzo insists the core of his program isn’t too much different from the 2000 group that won the national title.
“I think at some time I’ve adapted too much to not realizing still what it takes to win championships,” Izzo said in a self-deprecating manner.
Izzo’s NCAA Tournament success is on par with his iconic presence. Michigan State is making his 16th Sweet 16 appearance in the nation-long 27 consecutive NCAA tourneys his Spartans have played in.
“You’ve still got to defend, rebound and run, football, you’ve still got to block and tackle,” said Izzo, whose 2000 NCAA tournament championship represents the most recent national title won by a Big Ten team.
“We always make it more difficult than it really is because everybody wants to hear some new dance phrase, but it’s still the meat and potatoes.”
And Izzo is still Izzo, which is to say, he makes every practice more difficult, more physical and more intense than it needs to be — 70 years old, or 70 years young, however you look at it.
“Coach is still a fiery individual,” Michigan State’s Jaden Akins said. “I feel like he still has a really young spirit at heart. Every day in practice, he always brings the energy.”
It’s what Izzo’s current roster of Spartans, who won the Big Ten regular-season championship by an eye-popping three games, knew they were signing up for.
Which is to say, a basketball version of fire and brimstone, Izzo rushing into the middle of drills and scrimmages, his coaching instruction absolute and unwavering.
“Just how Coach coached, he got on players when they made a mistake, but at the end of the day, it was just to learn and get better,” said Jeremy Fears Jr., recalling his observations while on his recruiting visits Michigan State practices.
“That was really big,” said Fears, a former No. 1 prep recruit who fielded offers from several national powerhouse programs. “For me, I had seen somewhere I could call home.”
Indeed, for beneath Izzo’s rough exterior and tough talk lies a coach with undeniable loyalty to his players and the spirit of the game.
Izzo made recent headlines with his tirade on the controversial timing of the current NCAA transfer portal window, which began Monday and runs through April 22.
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