Rutgers didn’t get the win Tuesday night, but it may have earned something just as meaningful — public respect from one of the most decorated coaches in college basketball history.
After No. 7 Michigan State escaped Jersey Mike’s Arena with an 88–79 overtime win, Tom Izzo didn’t spend much time celebrating. Instead, he spent much of his postgame press conference talking about Rutgers, Steve Pikiell, and a group of Scarlet Knight freshmen he believes should think twice before ever entering the transfer
portal.
In a game where Rutgers led for most of regulation and pushed the Spartans to the brink, Izzo admitted his team had been outplayed and, in his words, out-coached for large stretches of the night. But what stood out most was how deeply impressed he was with the way Pikiell’s young roster competed.
Izzo’s Respect for Pikiell’s Game Plan
Izzo praised Pikiell’s game plan, particularly Rutgers’ use of a smaller, quicker lineup that gave Michigan State problems for nearly 40 minutes. He called the approach “brilliant” and noted how hard Rutgers’ players competed for possession after possession.
That admiration extended beyond strategy. Izzo made it clear he sees what Pikiell is building in Piscataway, even during a season where the results haven’t always followed.
He specifically pointed to Rutgers’ freshmen — Harun Zrno, Lino Mark, Kaden Powers, and Chris Nwuli — as players who showed toughness, energy, and long-term potential throughout the game.
Zrno had 16 points as his three-point shots fell, while the Knights got double-digit points from Darren Buchanan Jr., Jamichael Davis, and Dylan Grant, in addition to another masterful 23-point performance from Tariq Francis off the bench.
“If He Keeps Those Four Freshmen…”
Izzo compared Rutgers’ young core to Michigan State’s own veterans, saying, “If he keeps those four freshmen, they’ll be like Jaxon Kohler, (Carson) Cooper, Jeremy (Fears Jr.), and Coen (Carr). That’s what makes great teams. So I’m gonna publicly tell those kids stay put, you’ve got a good coach, fans were awesome tonight. That team is gonna get better. We had a veteran team, and they had a rookie team, and those rookies played their tail off.”
For a coach of Izzo’s stature to publicly encourage another program’s players not to transfer is rare. For him to do it after a hard-fought win, on the road, in a building where his team was pushed to the limit, says even more. Although it was just one performance, it says a lot about where these freshmen may be headed in a few years if they continue to grow and develop as Scarlet Knights.
Frustration Is Fair, But Izzo Sees The Potential
For Rutgers fans, Tuesday night will sting because it was a game the Scarlet Knights could have and should have won, which Izzo has openly admitted. But the takeaway may end up being larger than the result. When a Hall of Fame coach walks into your building, survives a scare, and walks out talking about your program, your coach, and your freshmen as the blueprint for the future, that matters. Tom Izzo didn’t just compliment Rutgers. He validated where the program is headed — and told the players leading that charge not to go anywhere.
Rutgers fans aren’t wrong to feel frustrated. The poor record, the offensive struggles, and the inconsistency have made this a difficult season to watch, and when results don’t come, questions about the head coach are natural. After a losing season that squandered Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey’s singular season in Piscataway, this season has been that much more difficult without the high-end talent. But Tom Izzo’s comments offered a perspective from someone who has built and maintained a powerhouse program over decades.
He didn’t describe Rutgers as a team without direction. He described it like a young group being taught the right way, one that executed a sharp game plan and competed at a level that pushed a top-10 team to overtime. Izzo’s praise of Steve Pikiell wasn’t blind loyalty between coaching peers; it was much-needed recognition that the infrastructure and developmental approach still exist in Piscataway.
The frustration from the fan base is understandable, but the version of Rutgers Izzo saw is the version Pikiell is trying to grow — and one that, if the freshmen stay and develop, could justify that patience. It may have been one game, but the Scarlet Knights showed Rutgers fans the potential this basketball team has to grow once again.
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