“I think it’s huge," Keady said of Izzo's milestone. "I think (Izzo) and Jud both deserve to be in the hall of fame. It’s just unbelievable what Izzo has done there as far as getting to the Final Four. That’s a great, great story. They 'ought to make a movie about it. Write a book.”

Izzo now has 513 wins in his career, second only to long-time Indiana head coach Bob Knight, who ended his career with 661 wins over his 29 years coaching Indiana.

Keady said he and Heathcote were best friends which allowed him to get to know Izzo very well over the years. Keady said when he first met Izzo as Heathcote’s assistant in the 1980's, he took a liking to Izzo because of Izzo's loyalty and attentiveness.

“He’s a good guy,” Keady said. “I think Izzo’s one of the good guys in the coaching game.”

Izzo spoke Monday during his press conference about the profound respect he has for Keady and all he was able to do at Purdue, despite never reaching a Final Four.

“Gene Keady, for me, is one of my favorite people because he kept on doing what he did (despite) not getting to the Final Four,” Izzo said. “You say if you’re good enough, you’ll get one – no, you’ve got to be pretty lucky to get to one. You’ve gotta be good, but in the final game or two, you’ve got to be lucky. I thought there some times he was very unlucky.”

Keady coached at Purdue for 25 years compiling a 512-270 record over that time and leading Purdue to six Big Ten titles, two Elite Eight appearances and won Big Ten Coach of the Year seven times.

Izzo was very modest when asked about his milestone accomplishment, saying he wouldn’t have been able to get to this point without the players he has had and the support he has had from MSU's administration.

“There’s a lot of reasons,” Izzo said. “I guess it makes me feel good that I’m still standing around here, cause the only way you accomplish things like that is if two things; you’ve gotta have an administration that keeps you around and good players that play for you. I think I’ve got both.”

This year Izzo has, what could be, one of the most talented teams he has ever coached, with players who are looking to make their mark, like junior guard Eron Harris.

“It’s a blessing,” Harris said. “It’s a blessing to go along with all the other blessings that come as being a part of this program. That’s going to be something you’re going to be able to talk about for the rest of your life, being a part of something like that -I’m happy for my coach.”

Senior forward Matt Costello and senior guard Denzel Valentine both said they were excited for the opportunity to put their stamp on Izzo’s legacy.

“It’s huge,” Costello said. “We’re always trying to put our footprint in the sand, and this is one of the things Zel and I can say we helped coach (Izzo) do. It just speaks to the legacy that coach (Izzo) has and how great he’s been over the years in the Big Ten.”