Tom Izzo, Michigan State is hosting Indiana with the Big Ten victory on site

On February 12, 2025By Littum

Michigan State’s coach Tom Izzo could become the winning most coach in the Big Ten story with a win against Indiana.
Izzo is currently tied with former Indiana coach Bob Knight with 353 League victories.
The Spartans come from an 86-74 comeback victory over Oregon.

East Lansing – More than 29 years ago when Tom Izzo stepped on the sidelines for his first Big Ten match, Bob Knight was there to greet him.

It ended up as the first conference victory for the young Michigan State Basketball Coach.

Tuesday, when Indiana visits the Breslin Center again, Aura of Knight will again weave big, with a chance for Izzo to overtake the “General” and become the winning most trainer in the Big Ten story.

The 11 ranked Spartans host Hoosiers with Izzo tied with Knight at 353 League wins. It is a threshold that the 70-year-old Naismith Hall of Famer has tried to ignore in his 30th season leading the MSU’s program, but it is even his young players-who all were born after Knight left Indiana in 2000-Understand the meaning of.

“He wants to negate whatever, it’s a kind of the guy he is,” said Sophomore Coen Carr on Monday. “We have made a little pact or whatever, so it matters to us. It means a lot to us and to the coaches, we definitely think about it. But we will still go out there and win the game and do what we need to do. “

Tipoff is at. 21 Tuesday and the game will not be the television but is only streamed on NBC’s Peacock app.

While Izzo has for the most part tried to keep his focus pointed to this year’s team that is out of the program’s best start since 2017-18, he said he allowed himself time-under and after Saturday’s Epic 86-74 comeback victory over Oregon -to be at the moment. It came partly from celebrating his 2000 national championship team during an Alumni Geneforing Weekend, but it also stems from both being on the bottom of more history and softening in the atmosphere with which he has helped.

“When I was standing there with about 30 seconds left (Saturday),” Izzo remembered Monday, “I did an al McGuire. I just looked up at the place and I said, ‘Wow.’ “

He also reflected on his relationship with Knight, who died on November 1, 2023, and called the three-time national master coach “The Standard” to win in their profession.

“I have memories of him sneaking up on me, my first game down (on Indiana) and telling me how bad the officials will be. And he did it right in front of the officials-and the four of them laughed, and I was afraid of death, ”said Izzo, 21-2 in Breslin all the time against Hoosiers. “Of course, the first win was against them and we were not so good and we found a way to win that game. It was a great memory. And probably one of my best memories when we beat him down there the year we won the championship. And he told me we were good enough to win a championship after the game and he was great with everything. “

The Spartans (19-4, 10-2 Big Ten) Saturday shook by the lingering delay from two-game-loll in Los Angeles, where they fell their first two conference games of the USC and UCLA season. With Mateen Cleaves, Jason Richardson and the rest of the 2000 team behind the bench and urged them, MSU stood out from a 14-point half-time hole to overtake the ducks and pull Izzo into a tie with knight coaching in Indiana from 1971 Until his dismissal in 2000 and then spent his last seven seasons at Texas Tech.

Jason Richardson’s son, Jase, scored a career hill 29 points when Izzo’s team drew the comeback despite being without Point Guard Jeremy fearing Jr. And Big Man Xavier Booker, both of which were out due to illness. Jaden Akins, who ended with 10 points and a Momentum-turning 3-Pointer and Gyde-Oop Dunk during Spartans’ Put-Away storm to Oregon, was also under the weather, and Izzo said his senior captain did not practice Sunday but was Expected back Monday.

Izzo expects his 10-man rotation to be back to full strength Tuesday against the rolling Hoosiers (14-10, 5-8).

Indiana, which comes from Saturday’s home loss of 70-67 to No. 17 Michigan, has fallen five equals and seven of its last eight. In that stretch, Hoosiers Outscored with almost 10 points and gives up 80 points a game, while opponents can hit more than 38% from 3-point reach and make nearly 47% of their shots. Mike Woodson, one of Knight’s former players, announced last week that he would leave at the end of the season after four motionless years as the head coach.

Still, Indiana beat MSU to close the regular season last year, 65-64, in the Assembly Hall in their lonely meeting in 2023-24. It was the ninth meeting out of the last 14 between the schools that were decided by 10 points or fewer, and the seventh determined by six or less.

Izzo looks back a lot of talent from a year ago-Inclusive 6-Foot-9 Forward Mackenzie Mgbako (13.3 Points/Five Rebounds) and Malik Reneau (12.3 Points/5.4 Rebounds) -There has been supplemented with 7-foot Arizona Transfer Oumar Ballo (13.7 points/9.6 rebounds) and 6-3 protects Myles Rice (11.1 points), a state transfer in Washington. And his focus remains on the Spartans chasing an 11th Big Ten-Season title that would tie him with Knight and former Purdue coach Ward “Piggy” Lambert for the most in the league story.

“With Mike and everything going on, it’s clear that there is a lot of news,” said Izzo, 29-19 all the time against Indiana. “But it doesn’t change that this is and is said to be the team with Oregon who was chosen to win it. They were very talented teams. This talent has not changed. They have a fight from late, but every loss seems to be a close loss. “

Forecast

MSU 83, Indiana 68: With the lessons that are fresh from the weak start to Oregon, the Spartans grab the moment of history and jump on Hoosiers from the start. The return of fear and booker helps MSU to dismantle Indiana early and continue to push his lead to secure Izzo about a record 30 seasons in creation.

Contact Chris Solari: [email protected]. Follow him @Chrissolari.

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Next up: Hoosiers

Matchup: No. 11 Michigan State (19-4, 10-2 Big Ten) against Indiana (14-10, 5-8).

Tipoff: 21:00 Tuesday; Breslin Center, East Lansing.

TV/Radio: Peacock (only online, no broadcast); WJR-AM (760).