Few can argue that Tom Izzo is not among the greatest college basketball coaches of recent history. His ability to consistently have competitive teams and also regularly win championships put him right in the same category as coaches like Mike Krzyzewski, Jay Wright, Jim Boeheim, and Roy Williams. Thursday night, the Michigan State Spartans secured the Big Ten regular season title with a victory over Iowa, the 11th time Izzo has accomplished this.
Michigan State Needed a Dramatic Comeback to Secure Tom Izzo’s 11th Regular Season Title
The Michigan State Spartans have been on a roll as of late, with 5 straight Quad 1 wins leading up to Thursday’s road matchup with the Iowa Hawkeyes. It was clear the Spartans were in for another hard-fought game right from the jump, even though the opposing Hawkeyes are closer to the bottom of the conference standings than the top.
Iowa took the lead around 7 minutes into the game and led for the entire rest of the first half, at one point doubling up Michigan State by a score of 27-13. Izzo cut a frustrated figure on the sideline, but began to push the right buttons for his team, as he always seems capable of doing.
In the second half, Michigan State had another slow start, but eventually grasped control of the lead and comfortably won 91-84. Freshman Jase Richardson once again led the way in the scoring column, with 22 points on 7-13 shooting from the field. Fellow guards Jeremy Fears and Jaden Akins contributed 14 and 15 respectively.
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The Spartans overcame a poor night from their big men Jackson Kohler and Carson Cooper, who Izzo described as “poor” before joking that he would have used a “lot better word than that if this was HBO instead of Iowa Network.”
Michigan State is now 25-5 and one of the hottest teams in the nation, likely due to rise into the top 10 of the college basketball standings.
Michigan State Continues to Win in a Variety of Ways
One of the most consistent traits of truly good teams is their ability to win games in multiple different ways. The recipe for success cannot always be the same, and it hasn’t been for Michigan State as they have now won 6 straight contests. Sometimes the offense is so good that they simply outscore opponents – other times they lean on their top-ranked defense to shut down high-powered opposing offenses. And of course, sometimes they need some good fortune, which was certainly helpful when Tre Holloman buried a game-winner against Maryland from well past halfcourt.
Izzo’s bunch remain a well-rounded group with plenty of players able to contribute in a variety of ways. Whether it is the sparky scoring ability of Tre Holloman off the bench, the rim protection and energy from Coen Carr, who had four blocks on the evening, or critical rebounding from Frankie Fidler, this team has answers for every situation on the court.
As they approach March, a month where Izzo has had tremendous success in his career, the team has all the ingredients of a Final Four-caliber team. Amazing team defense, multiple playmaking guards, a star in Jase Richardson, and a deep rotation of players who contribute across the margins.
Tom Izzo has never gone more than 4 years without making a Final 4
Adjust your future brackets accordingly pic.twitter.com/i2APsMRQ5H
— gio🦁 (@Clapped_Dre) March 7, 2025
Do not be surprised to see Izzo back in the Final Four spotlight this season. However, before they can begin plotting their path to San Antonio, they have one more extremely tough game on their schedule. A trip to Ann Arbor to visit the Michigan Wolverines awaits on Sunday.
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