Indiana Tops MSU As Tom Izzo stays on the Brink of Big Ten Wins Record

East Lansing, Mich. – Michigan State Coach Tom Izzo has tried to neglect to be on the verge of Breaking Bob Knight’s record for the Big Ten Conference Basketball Gains.

Maybe he knew what was coming on Tuesday night.

Indiana beat the 11th-ranked Spartans 71-67, leaving Izzo with 353 conference victories to stay tied with Knight a little longer.

Michigan State (19-5, 10-3), an 11.5-point favorite, lost for the third time in four games. Izzo gets his next shot Saturday night at Illinois.

Former NFL coach Steve Mariucci surprised Izzo by showing up in the Breslin center and sitting on the spartan bench with his back against Izzo as he went to the sidelines for warming.

Izzo and Mariucci, who coached San Francisco 49ers and Detroit Lions, grew up together in Iron Mountain in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and participated in the nearby Northern Michigan.

Basketball Hall of Fame coach tied the Knights Big Ten record of 353 conference winner with an 86-74 comeback victory over Oregon on Saturday.

Knight, which died in 2023, led Indiana to three NCAA titles between 1971 and 2000 and was one of Izzo’s mentors during his first season as Jud Heathcote’s successor in Michigan State in 1995.

Indiana coach Mike Woodson, a star player for Knight from 1976 to 1980, is in its fourth and last year in the latest attempt to return the program in honor. Last week, the school announced that Woodon’s stepped down after the season.

“I can’t let them quit,” Woodon said, whose team ended a five-match’s losing row. “We just have to continue working and continue to push each other and see where it leads us.

“We still have a lot of season left.”

Associated Press contributed to this report.