Since becoming head coach in 1995, Tom Izzo has recruited and coached 11 McDonald’s High School All-Americans. On Tuesday, the Spartans were beat by a Duke team that had nine McDonald’s All-Americans on their current roster. While Izzo undoubtedly has the ability to bring in the big-time recruits, it hails in comparison to what coaches like John Calipari, Mike Krzyzewski and Bill Self are doing these days.

In a misguided era of one-and-done players, recruiting strategies and player motivations have created a lopsided market for top recruits. What might have been a recruiting advantage 10 or 15 years ago could be irrelevant in today’s game.

The approach of an incoming freshman destined to be a first-round pick is going to be a lot different than someone looking to stay four years. They might not consider the educational benefits or campus lifestyle because they’ll only be there for one year, or sometimes just one semester.

It takes the “student” out of student-athlete and turns recruiting into a charade like free agency in professional sports. Now this isn’t to say Izzo can’t or won’t recruit these types of players. He’s proven to be willing and capable with guys like Gary Harris and recent commit Deyonta Davis.

Still, those commitments tend to be few and far between compared to the teams MSU likes to sit with at the big boy table. Along with the aforementioned Blue Devils and MSU, Kentucky and Kansas all take part in the Champions Classic held every year since 2011. UK also has nine McDonald’s All-Americans on their current roster, while the Jayhawks had two freshmen picked No. 1 and No. 3 overall in the 2014 NBA draft.

So how does Izzo manage to stay in the same breadth of these factory-like programs? Some might argue it’s the hair, some may even say it’s his affable relationships with referees and the media. But really, it’s his ability to find the right people – good people – and develop them using his football coach mentality.

While he’s had his fair share of recruits that were destined for the NBA – Jason Richardson, Zach Randolph and Gary Harris to name a few – he’s developed even more into the professional ranks. Guys like Morris Peterson, Draymond Green and Adreian Payne were all overlooked as recruits and ended up as NBA draft picks.

Obviously, all NCAA coaches would prefer to have their players stay four years. The reality is though, if they want the top recruits then they have to change that mindset. Calipari adopted it rather sheepishly, Roy Williams took it too far, and even Coach K has hopped on the One-and-Done Express.

Now whether Izzo doesn’t want to get on or everyone else keeps pushing him off could be debated, the fact is Izzo hasn’t changed. He understands what got MSU to national prominence, and just because they got there doesn’t mean everything has to change – besides expectations, of course.

Izzo has always had good players, but they’ve found success using a blue-collar approach. Izzo’s teams are famous for their rebounding, toughness, and accountability – and that much is never going to change.

Still, it all comes back to bringing in the right people. Even if a top recruit has interest in the Spartans, it doesn’t necessarily mean that player is right for MSU. Even Izzo admits he has to remind himself of that fact from time to time. So, maybe it was a good thing MSU struck out on guys like Jabari Parker and Jahlil Okafor, right? No? I’m fired?

Without a doubt, it’s always great to land a player of that caliber. However, what makes Izzo unique is he doesn’t need a five-star recruit to build a five-star player. He’ll be satisfied if he finds three gym rats, as long as they can rebound and take a scolding.

At the end of the day, Izzo’s numbers speak for themselves. Yet amidst all the Final Fours, Big Ten Championships, and Coach of the Year awards, Izzo is just a guy who cares about his players. All he wants is for them to find success in basketball and life, and that’s what being a student-athlete is supposed to be about.