As the changes to college basketball have come quickly, many programs have transformed their method of operations. But at MSU, head coach Tom Izzo is running the program like he has for 30 years. MSU was the only power conference team to not take any transfers in 2022 and 2023, the two years most characterized by the NCAA's transfer rule.

Izzo has made his disdain clear for many facets of the new-look sport, particularly the lack of overcoming adversity in young men when they can flip schools at any moment.

Izzo's also made it known that he's not going anywhere and will remain at the helm for the foreseeable future. He's one of the last remaining college basketball coaches of his generation.

Virginia head coach Tony Bennett, the school's winningest coach in history, abruptly announced his retirement at 55 years old earlier in the week, saying he realized he was no longer the right coach to lead the team. Villanova’s Jay Wright, who led the team to 16 NCAA tournament appearances in 21 seasons, retired in 2022 at age 60, saying the new transfer portal and NIL rules played a small role in his decision. Roy Williams of North Carolina retired in 2021 after a 33-year career with the Tar Heels and Kansas.

Losing Bennett to retirement was "a shame," since he’s one of the "great guys in our profession," Izzo said after practice Thursday.

"What we got right now is the Wild Wild West and it’s out of control," Izzo said. 

College basketball players have the ability to switch schools almost any time of the year. More players are thinking about monetary compensation, shifting the focus of the team sport from the entire unit to individuals.

Izzo said he's always worried about four things in his job: the players he coaches, the players he’s coached before, the program he's built at MSU and the human beings that go through this. Right now, he’s having trouble deciding if the new-look sport is beneficial for human beings.

Even with all the changes and nuances to college basketball — something Izzo said he "can’t change one part" of — he understands what is needed from him, especially in a season with many new faces and returners stepping into different roles.

"I still have a job to do, and the job is to adjust the best you can with the cards you’ve dealt," Izzo said. 

To Izzo, college basketball has become a system "we're trying to fix." For now, he will remain the head coach and mentor at Michigan State, unlike many of his former counterparts.

"What bothers me is that some of those guys are really good coaches and really good people and really good mentors for these young kids, and we’re losing really good mentors that are going to help these kids," Izzo said. "Life’s going to get a little tougher in the next couple of years once they’re done."