Izzo Is MSU's Best Coach Ever; At UK He'd Be Under Extreme Duress To Win 2nd Title Or Leave

[Neue Regel]

My thoughts on Izzo which I have stated before. He's one of the elite coaches in the country and it seems like Sparty is almost always a factor in March. I think a number of his teams that were highly regarded in the pre-season somewhat underachieved only to have a solid post-season which has some times given the illusion that Michigan State is overachieving or doing "more with less." For whatever reason you don't see a lot of outstanding regular season records from them like at KU, Kentucky and Duke. You don't see a 25-2 etc. type year from them it's always 8-9-10 losses entering March.

Yes as the article states he could have started Jones and Okafor or Ullis and Booker this past April in Indy. But you know what? he didn't, so he doesn't get extra brownie points for losing to teams that had recruits he failed to get. Recruiting is part of coaching. I had a chance to listen to a lot of talk radio the week leading up to the Final Four since I was traveling a lot that week with work and Tom Izzo was the talk of that week for being the surprise team at the Final Four. Of course Kentucky was getting pub over the 38-0, and Duke was getting some but Sparty was a big topic early that week and Fran Frischilla and another name commentator (I am totally drawing a blank on his name) both flat out said that in a one game scenario they would take Izzo over any active coach. And I'm driving down the highway thinking "why"? I mean they are aware that the tournament doesn't end once four teams emerge from each region right? He's not won a title in 15 years but they'd take him in a "one-game scenario"? which game Fran? the regional final or the national semi-final??

7 Final Fours by a coach is just tremendous, no question about it whatsoever. But for Izzo, that's where the party usually ends early as his teams tend to go out pretty quickly at the Final Four. in seven trips he's gotten to the final only twice. And as mentioned by other posters his teams were blown out by Arizona (01), UNC twice (05, 09) and Duke, (15) and they had an uber-ugly 10 minute scoring drought at the 2010 Final Four losing to Butler by 2 points. Offense is Michigan State's kryptonite and the other teams that are blessed with greater offensive stars are the ones who are emerging victorious in these matchups with Sparty.

Tom Izzo is great for MSU, great for College Basketball. He's a HOF'er, I like the guy a lot and most schools would trade for him but Duke and Kentucky sure wouldn't.

 

[dlh331]

Great post, Neue

Darryl

 

[SpartyRBS]

Izzo has made a career of getting good Midwest talent and coaching them into his system. He gets the low end 5 star project or a high end 4 star.

He took MSU from a decent program and put us into probably the 2nd tier of programs with a UCONN or Louisville type. His resume speaks for itself.

I don't get some of the hate in here but what more do you want from the guy? He literally built his program. It's all Izzo.

Question for some of the people in here. Why do some of you think MSU is so boring? Izzo plays tough D, rebound, and run. If there's nothing in transition, we run sets. Do you guys watch MSU basketball? Some of the offensive stats are skewed because of the conference we play in. A team like Wisconsin or Penn State will just sit on the shot clock to limit possession but by no means does MSU do anything like that. Izzo wants to get out and run all day long.

I also think Izzo would be able to recruit better at UK, like that surprises anyone here. Tough to compare because Izzo would likely have a little better talent.

I'd also add that sometimes our teams get blown out in the FF because they're a 5 or 6 seed that upset a 1 or 2 just to get there. Admittedly we've had some down years from the 2006-2009 range but really when were seated high, we do quite well. It's just hard for me to penalize Izzo for getting blown out by a Duke type team this year that won it all when we were what, a 5 seed? Come on now. It's a product of over achieving and not under performing.

 

[Neue Regel]

Izzo has made a career of getting good Midwest talent and coaching them into his system. He gets the low end 5 star project or a high end 4 star.

He took MSU from a decent program and put us into probably the 2nd tier of programs with a UCONN or Louisville type. His resume speaks for itself.

I don't get some of the hate in here but what more do you want from the guy? He literally built his program. It's all Izzo.

Question for some of the people in here. Why do some of you think MSU is so boring? Izzo plays tough D, rebound, and run. If there's nothing in transition, we run sets. Do you guys watch MSU basketball? Some of the offensive stats are skewed because of the conference we play in. A team like Wisconsin or Penn State will just sit on the shot clock to limit possession but by no means does MSU do anything like that. Izzo wants to get out and run all day long.

I also think Izzo would be able to recruit better at UK, like that surprises anyone here. Tough to compare because Izzo would likely have a little better talent.

I'd also add that sometimes our teams get blown out in the FF because they're a 5 or 6 seed that upset a 1 or 2 just to get there. Admittedly we've had some down years from the 2006-2019 range but really when were seated high, we do quite well. It's just hard for me to penalize Izzo for getting blown out by a Duke type team this year that won it all when we were what, a 5 seed? Come on now. It's a product of over achieving and not under performing.

I don't think people are hating on Izzo at all, you can make a critique of something or someone without having malicious intent. The thread is full of acknowledgement of what a great job he has done in going to seven Final Fours.

 

[Jkwo]

Izzo has made a career of getting good Midwest talent and coaching them into his system. He gets the low end 5 star project or a high end 4 star.

He took MSU from a decent program and put us into probably the 2nd tier of programs with a UCONN or Louisville type. His resume speaks for itself.

I don't get some of the hate in here but what more do you want from the guy? He literally built his program. It's all Izzo.

Question for some of the people in here. Why do some of you think MSU is so boring? Izzo plays tough D, rebound, and run. If there's nothing in transition, we run sets. Do you guys watch MSU basketball? Some of the offensive stats are skewed because of the conference we play in. A team like Wisconsin or Penn State will just sit on the shot clock to limit possession but by no means does MSU do anything like that. Izzo wants to get out and run all day long.

I also think Izzo would be able to recruit better at UK, like that surprises anyone here. Tough to compare because Izzo would likely have a little better talent.

I'd also add that sometimes our teams get blown out in the FF because they're a 5 or 6 seed that upset a 1 or 2 just to get there. Admittedly we've had some down years from the 2006-2009 range but really when were seated high, we do quite well. It's just hard for me to penalize Izzo for getting blown out by a Duke type team this year that won it all when we were what, a 5 seed? Come on now. It's a product of over achieving and not under performing.

You've got it wrong. We really like Izzo. As a bonus, he and Cal are fairly close. In this thread, we're just giving your homer buddy a hard time and also appreciating what an inimitable job Cal is doing here.

 

[wcc31]

Would UK fans be okay with Izzo's resume?

20 years and 199 losses...10 loss Tommy anyone??

4 Big 10 Tourney titles since 1998

7 Big 10 Reg Season Titles in 20 years

4 1st round NCAAT losses; 1 2nd round loss

of his 6 Final 4 losses, 4 were blowouts and another loss was to Butler

15 years and counting since his single NCAA title

Mediocre recruiting

Coma-inducing style of play

Darryl

Pretty lame post and rather insecure. UK fans shouldn't resort to this kind of BS.

 

[kyjeff1]

Izzo has made a career of getting good Midwest talent and coaching them into his system. He gets the low end 5 star project or a high end 4 star.

He took MSU from a decent program and put us into probably the 2nd tier of programs with a UCONN or Louisville type. His resume speaks for itself.

I don't get some of the hate in here but what more do you want from the guy? He literally built his program. It's all Izzo.

Question for some of the people in here. Why do some of you think MSU is so boring? Izzo plays tough D, rebound, and run. If there's nothing in transition, we run sets. Do you guys watch MSU basketball? Some of the offensive stats are skewed because of the conference we play in. A team like Wisconsin or Penn State will just sit on the shot clock to limit possession but by no means does MSU do anything like that. Izzo wants to get out and run all day long.

I also think Izzo would be able to recruit better at UK, like that surprises anyone here. Tough to compare because Izzo would likely have a little better talent.

I'd also add that sometimes our teams get blown out in the FF because they're a 5 or 6 seed that upset a 1 or 2 just to get there. Admittedly we've had some down years from the 2006-2009 range but really when were seated high, we do quite well. It's just hard for me to penalize Izzo for getting blown out by a Duke type team this year that won it all when we were what, a 5 seed? Come on now. It's a product of over achieving and not under performing.

Who's hating?
Don't confuse facts with hate. I saw one comment that was out of line and that was the "Izzo is past his prime" comment. The rest have been more than respectful of Tom.

If you want to see disrespectful you should read the comments of every cbb forum that isn't a UK forum when the name John Calipari comes up. You aren't getting any sympathy from us, we have to defend our coach constantly.

 

[kyjeff1]

If Izzo isn't going after potential OAD kids as a couple of posts said then whey did he recruit Okafor and Jones? not to mention some of Cal's guys.

http://www.detroitnews.com/story/sp.../03/duke-kentucky-duos-izzo-recruit/25271459/

Article Excerpt:

But one glance around the rosters of the other teams at Lucas Oil Stadium tonight could have many Spartans playing a game of "What if?"

What if Jahlil Okafor and Tyus Jones decided to team up and play for the Spartans? What if the same thing happened with Kentucky's Tyler Ulis and Devin Booker. These aren't far-fetched theories.

Tom Izzo was in the thick of the recruiting battle for all four, and at times, it seemed like Michigan State was in good shape with all of them. Izzo began recruiting Okafor and Jones as far back as ninth grade and built a strong relationship with both.
That was on the minds of Duke's standout freshmen on Friday as they prepared to face Michigan State in tonight's Final Four.

"I love coach Izzo to death," Okafor said. "I remember having in-home visits with him, and my family really bonded. Michigan State was a school that I really wanted to go to. That's what made the process so hard, having to choose one school over another."
Okafor said his earliest memories of college were of Duke while Jones said he always like the point guards the Blue Devils had, like Jay Williams and Bobby Hurley. But he, too, had nothing but respect for Izzo.

"Just the relationship I had with coach Izzo, how he reached out to myself and my family and took us on an official visit up there on campus," Jones said. "They have a great program with a lot tradition, and he's done a great job with that school and with their program and so I have a lot of respect for him."

Over in the Kentucky locker room, the same questions were being posed to Booker and Ulis. Izzo went after both hard and each had Michigan State high on his list before picking Kentucky.
Ulis seemed the most likely to become a Spartan considering his cousin is Travis Walton, a member of the 2009 team that reached the national title game. But Kentucky entered the recruiting late and landed Ulis. Not long after that, Michigan State got a commitment from Lourawls "Tum Tum" Nairn.

"I've grown up around Izzo with my cousin playing for them," Ulis said. "I really like him as a coach, and I just felt like I was probably going to go there if Kentucky didn't come in. I was always around them and stuff like that, but when Kentucky came in, I just felt like that was best for me and my family."

Yup, Izzo will make an attempt at recruiting top 5 star talent but he doesn't land them because he sticks to his guns on his methods. He's not going to budge and he lets them know that. Freshmen aren't going to get pt over 3 and 4 year guys, Tom is loyal to those guys. Guys like Okafor aren't going to ride the pine only to watch Valentine throw the ball away every time down the court. If you are being recruited as a top player you're going to go where you know you are going to be a major contributor right off the bat. Okafor doesn't want to wait 3 years to go pro and that is a real possibility at MSU under Izzo.

 

[KA4Prez]

Izzo is the most underrated AND most overrated coach of all-time.

Underrated when you consider him, compared to only those in other similar situations.
Overrated when you consider him, amongst the other elite coaches he is lumped in with.

Bottom line, there is more to coaching than what substitutions you make, what plays you call and what players you develop and graduate. Certain people choose to overlook everything else (a lot of it, that Izzo doesn't do well) and grade him after removing all of those factors (recruiting, developing elite level players).

 

[Supafuzz75]

Pretty lame post and rather insecure. UK fans shouldn't resort to this kind of BS.

I'd bet you're the life of a party..

 

[Mr. Anderson23]

Izzo's a better basketball mind, but I'd rather have Cal. It's a lot harder to do what he does, recruiting-wise and team chemistry-wise, than he'd given credit for.

 

[wcc31]

I'd bet you're the life of a party..

I am. Good post!

 

[Supafuzz75]

I am. Good post!

Depends,, are you a host that says BYOB,, BYOD and BYOW?

 

[dlh331]

Pretty lame post and rather insecure. UK fans shouldn't resort to this kind of BS.

In retrospect, I guess I could have run this post by you first for approval, but then I realized I don't give a rat's ass what you think. But look at you, volunteer moderator and amateur Psychologist all wrapped up in one ...and we have you all to ourselves right here.

Darryl

 

[wcc31]

In retrospect, I guess I could have run this post by you first for approval, but then I realized I don't give a rat's ass what you think. But look at you, volunteer moderator and amateur Psychologist all wrapped up in one ...and we have you all to ourselves right here.

Darryl

I could give a ish less about moderators. You made a Louisville Fan type post and I'm telling you how terrible it is. I don't have time for homer crap, whether it be our fans or someone else's.

 

[dlh331]

I could give a ish less about moderators. You made a Louisville Fan type post and I'm telling you how terrible it is. I don't have time for homer crap, whether it be our fans or someone else's.

If one used an electron microscope, you could not locate my interest in what you have time for nor what you think about any post, jackass.

Darryl