Thursday, April 25, 2024

The reason MSU has a shot in this year's Final Four? Tom Izzo

March 31, 2015
<p>Head coach Tom Izzo quiets the crowd March 29, 2015, at Breslin Center during a celebration of MSU's win over Louisville. The win advanced the team to the Final Four in Indianapolis, Indiana. Kennedy Thatch/The State News</p>

Head coach Tom Izzo quiets the crowd March 29, 2015, at Breslin Center during a celebration of MSU's win over Louisville. The win advanced the team to the Final Four in Indianapolis, Indiana. Kennedy Thatch/The State News

At this point we need to all come to grips with something: Tom Izzo may be a coaching god.

Sunday night’s game against Louisville proved it. There is simply no other way to explain the fashion in which MSU won other than great coaching.

To be completely honest, I didn’t have us going past the Sweet 16. Not many did. On the other hand, I knew if we made it past the Sweet 16, we would go further than anyone expected. Now that we have made it to the Final Four, it is safe to say it’s all thanks to Izzo.

Izzo has taken a team with no significant star, weak free throw shooting and a knack for being down at the half to the Final Four. When the second half hits, the Spartans become a different team and Izzo starts to resemble a wizard of some sort who can do no wrong.

The defense locks down in the second half, which can be credited to Izzo. Louisville went 5-for-25 in the second half, and 1-for-7 in overtime. Combining those together, that’s good for 18.8 percent, which is nothing short of amazing if you’re on the defensive side of the ball.

All over social media, there has been crazy amounts of praise for Izzo and the Spartans. MSU alumnus and NBA legend Magic Johnson even tweeted, “This run to the Final Four showed everyone why Tom Izzo is the best coach in College Basketball!”

This is Izzo’s seventh appearance in the Final Four, but this one might be the most special.

As a No. 7 seed entering the tournament, plus constant struggles during the season, there were times a trip to Indianapolis seemed unreachable. But here we are. Izzo would even go on to call this Final Four appearance “the most improbable.”

With a roller coaster of a game in the books and the Spartans now in the Final Four, there’s a great question to be asked: Can the team knock Duke down? With Izzo on the sidelines and the Spartans’ confidence at an all-time high, anything is possible.

Hopefully you will be somewhere near a television this Saturday to witness whatever happens, because I sure will be.

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