MSU’s Izzo passes Knight for a lot of Huge 10 wins
Feb 15, 2025, 11:27 PM ET
Michigan State’s Tom Izzo followed one of the most frustrating losses of his training career with a record-setting victory.The No. 11 Spartans came from behind to beat Illinois 79-65 on Saturday night for Izzo’s 354th career Huge 10 victory, breaking previous Indiana coach Bob Knight’s record of 353 conference wins.”What a win,”Izzo stated.” You talk about the greatest of highs and the lowest of lows. “We dissatisfied a lot of individuals [Tuesday]
when we lost to Indiana at home. It was among the worst beats of my career because of the way we played. To choose ourselves off the ground after that loss and win in this environment after falling back by 16 points [in the very first half] was incredible.”Editor’s Picks 2 Related Izzo and Illinois coach Brad Underwood are friends who talk frequently and respect each other
‘s programs.But that didn’t
reduce the
sting of losing to the Spartans for Underwood. Michigan State outscored the Illini 42-24 in the 2nd half and
completed the game with a 15-point run over the final 8 1/2 minutes. “It stinks,”Underwood said.Former Illinois star Terrence Shannon Jr., whose No. 0 jersey was raised to the rafters at the State Farm Center throughout a halftime event
, went to the Michigan
State locker room after the game to congratulate Izzo. “That was really classy. I told Terrence if he hadn’t played here, I ‘d have done it a lot quicker,” Izzo said.Michigan State freshman Jase Richardson made the night additional special for Izzo by scoring 11 points.Richardson is the kid of former Michigan State star Jason Richardson, who was an essential member of the Spartans’2000 NCAA championship team. Jase is the very first child of a previous player to bet Izzo.Izzo connected Knight
Feb. 8 when Michigan State rallied in the second half to beat Oregon 86-74. The Spartans failed badly in their very first attempt to get the turning point success for their coach, losing 71-67 in your home to Indiana and lame-duck coach Mike Woodson. “We had an opportunity [Tuesday] for a special night
,”Izzo stated.” However the players didn’t play well, and the coaches didn’t coach well. That’s a bad mix versus a group that’s desperate for a win.
“Izzo, who commemorated his 70th birthday on Jan. 30, is now 354-173 in Huge Ten play in 30 seasons. He is 727-300 total given that changing Jud Heathcote in 1995 after acting as an assistant to Heathcote from 1983 to 1995. A 2016 conscript into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Popularity, Izzo has a record 26 straight NCAA tournament looks and 8 journeys to the Final Four on his résumé, which also includes 10 Huge Ten regular-season titles and six Huge Ten tournament championships.Last season, Izzo ended up being the first Huge Ten coach to win 700 games at the same school.Knight, who died in 2023, was the coach at Indiana from 1971 up until 2000, winning 3 NCAA tournament champions.” I ‘d quit the Big 10 wins record for two more NCAA tournament championships,”Izzo stated.