"I wanted to tell them on Friday, so I didn't tell them Saturday and then they didn't have any time to adjust," Izzo said postgame via a Detroit Free Press live stream. "So I told them Friday, 'This could be the way it is.'"

But with 20 minutes left in Saturday's practice, Izzo said his team got confirmation Bridges was cleared to play.

"It definitely helped the last twenty minutes of practice, but it was definitely a difficult two days no question," Izzo said. "Those guys, they don't just like Miles. They love him." 

Bridges was cleared to play after MSU's compliance office conducted an internal review on the Yahoo report about Bridges' mom, Cynthia Bridges, who allegedly received a $400 advance and $70.05 dinner from Christian Dawkins on May 3, 2016 and presented its findings to the NCAA. The NCAA then cleared Bridges Saturday afternoon, according to MSU Interim Athletic Director Bill Beekman.

"I give both (thanks) to (Senior Associate Athletic Director) Jennifer Smith and our academic compliance department, and the fact that the NCAA moved on it quickly. And there are reasons that they did," Izzo said. "But they cleared him to play, or I wouldn't have played him." 

Izzo said there "was one major issue with the $400" Cynthia allegedly received from Dawkins that MSU and the NCAA "found to be completely not true, as we know now." 

Izzo said he can't explain the major issue because MSU's compliance department did the investigation, not him.

"I did something I haven't done very much in the last month: I try to just coach my team and watch film. And this one was completely out of my hands," Izzo said. "There's no hall passes in this ... As far as I know, I have no reason to believe any member of my staff, student-athletes here have violated any NCAA rules."

Izzo said Bridges, who scored 10 points on 3-of-15 shooting, while grabbing eight rebounds in Sunday's win over Wisconsin, "knew nothing about" his mother accepting $400 from Dawkins. Bridges told media members after the game he denies ever meeting Dawkins and doesn't think his mom accepted from Dawkins.

"He handled it like a man. He handled it better than I did," Izzo said. "We can all fake how we feel. Deep down that had to be crushing for him. I just think our players rallied around him, our coaches tried to rally around him and give Miles credit. He hung in there."

Sunday's win against Wisconsin also secured MSU its first outright Big Ten championship since 2009. Although Izzo was happy about the achievement, he said this one was different with everything happening off the court.

"It's been a interesting month to five weeks, and I hope things will work out," Izzo said. "But the emotion in the locker room was still of great happiness and joy. I think they're just mentally worn down from all the things they've been through. But that's a happy locker room and well-deserving for those kids for what they've done.

"They've taught me as much as I've taught them. And handling the adversity they've handled, I think that's going to make them better men for the next 60 years."

Izzo said he "think's it's over" but is unsure and still needs to talk to MSU's compliance department, the NCAA and his compliance officer.

"We have a unique situation, one that's unprecedented in recent years, at least in my era," Izzo said. "I appreciate the NCAA took the time and energy, because they must of worked all night to go over everything and come up with this kind of answer."