Look, Tom Izzo is a Hall of Famer. He has appeared in 28 consecutive NCAA tournaments, the longest ever streak by a coach at one school, and has eight Final Four appearances under his belt. He has made the championship game twice, winning one back in 2000. In his 31 years as head coach, he has never had a losing season. The 71-year-old coach has a 71% career winning percentage in almost 1100 total games.
And yet, I believe he has to do more if Michigan State is ever going to make it back to another
championship game before he retires.
The State of the NCAA
It’s no secret that Izzo is not a fan of the NCAA. He was just recently on the Dan Patrick Show where he discussed NIL and the state of the NCAA basketball: “To me, NIL means ‘pay-for-play’…the only difference is it’s still sort of illegal, but it’s not illegal. That’s what’s so hard, so confusing. Who says what’s legal and not legal anymore, ya know? I don’t know.”
Later on when Dan asked him about retirement, Tom said, “I think I’m just too stubborn to retire…I feel good, I still have the energy, I still love my players, but I don’t love my profession.”
During the pre-game press conference before the UConn game, Tom was asked why he keeps coming back given his historic résumé. His response: “I’m not ready to give in to the system, even though I think the system is broken.”
Sorry, Tom, but it’s time to stop complaining about the system – instead, start using it to your advantage.
Roster Construction
To take another quote from the Dan Patrick Show, Izzo said, “Everybody talks about three-point shooting ‘cause it’s the new sexy thing, but at the end of the day I think you gotta be balanced in what you do.”
Sure, I guess? Again, maybe we stop ranting and take advantage of the “new sexy thing” instead.
Tom, did you know that MSU hasn’t been ranked in the upper half of the B1G in three-point attempts since 2017?
- 2018: 9/14 in attempts, 1/14 in percentage
- 2019: 9/14 in attempts, 3/14 in percentage
- 2020: 10/14 in attempts, 12/14 in percentage
- 2021: 11/14 in attempts, 2/14 in percentage
- 2022: 11/14 in attempts, 1/14 in percentage
- 2023: 13/14 in attempts, 3/14 in percentage
- 2024: 18/18 in attempts, 18/18 in percentage
- 2025: 14/18 in attempts, 4/18 in percentage
Izzo refers to a balance of an inside-out game offensively, yet that balance isn’t actually a reality. If anything, Michigan State needs more three-point shooting to reach the balance Tom is talking about. And based on their percentages, more shooting from deep would be good for the offense and provide more space for the guys on the floor. I’m getting tired of seeing two big men posted up on the blocks and clogging up driving lanes.
Going back to the NDSU game, here’s a possession where Jeremy Fears and Carson Cooper run a pick-and-roll, but I actually want you to watch Cam Ward and Coen Carr. They are floating around the basket, basically in no man’s land because they don’t know where to go. There’s no real spacing with four of the five Spartans inside the three-point line. This kind of spacing is what causes the halfcourt offensive struggles that MSU had this year.
Looking at Louisville, Carr bails out the offense with a corner three late in the shot clock, but Fears can’t turn the corner around the screen and Kohler rolls right into Ward’s defender in the paint. Relying on a sub-30% three-point shooter to generate offense from deep is not a good idea, but with two big men already inside the paint, Carr is forced outside where his game is the weakest.
Lastly, there were plenty of offensive struggles for MSU against UConn and running post-up possessions for Cooper wouldn’t be my first choice for halfcourt offense. But, what is Kohler doing on this possession? Why does he run from the top of the key to stand right next to Carr on the opposite block? The fundamentals on spacing the floor aren’t being followed when the roster is composed of players who like to score inside.
These offensive mishaps fall on Izzo. He has to do a better job of creating offensive concepts that embrace spacing in a halfcourt setting, but he also has to acquire players that want to score from outside.
The Transfer Portal
So, where can Tom Izzo get extra talent to compliment his incoming freshmen?
The Portal, of course, despite how much he despises it. He hasn’t used the Portal and MSU’s resources enough to get quality talent from it. Michigan State hasn’t landed a quality starter via transfer since Tyson Walker in 2021.
Izzo took in six transfers the past two years:
- 2025: Divine (91), Fort (89), Glenn (91), Wojcik (n/r)
- 2024: Fidler (91), Zapala (n/r)
The number in parenthesis is On3’s “transfer ranking” to rate the players in the transfer portal. The two players that left Michigan State, Tre Holloman (94) and Xavier Booker (92), ranked higher than any transfer Izzo has brought in since Walker.
I get it – he’s a man of loyalty and he’s most loyal to the players and families he has spent the most time recruiting. Bringing in new blood brings challenges, both from rotational and financial standpoints. Can you pay a transfer more money than anyone else on the roster? Can you bring in a better player and take away minutes from an upcoming underclassman? (The answer to both of these questions is “Yes.”)
Look no further than the team down the road as an example. Dusty May lost four starters from last year’s team, yet replaced them with four transfers, including Yaxel Lendeborg, a possible NBA lottery pick and the highest ranked player in the portal. Any of those four players would’ve been Izzo’s highest ranked transfer ever:
- Lendeborg, from UAB (98)
- Mara, from UCLA (94)
- Cadeau, from UNC (94)
- Johnson, from Illinois (94)
Of the Big Ten teams that made it to the Sweet 16, check out their NIL spending via Pete Nakos of On3:
Illinois made it to the Final Four, Iowa made it to the Elite Eight, Purdue made it to the Elite Eight, Nebraska made it to the Sweet 16, and we know where Michigan ended up. This should be embarrassing to the leaders of the basketball program.
Time to $tep Up
To be blunt, it’s utterly unacceptable that a school with the resources that Michigan State has is at the bottom of this list. There is nothing wrong with bringing elite collegiate talent into your program because you paid top dollar for it. You’re a historically great basketball institution and it’s time to start spending like it.
Yet, will it be hypocritical of Izzo to pay millions for an elite center? What happens when a transfer wants more money than Fears or Carr? Does Izzo’s bias against the Portal pull him away from getting the most out of it?
At the end of the day, none of it matters – money talks. Izzo has the support from two MSU billionaire alums in Matt Ishbia and Magic Johnson, along with Athletic Director J Batt and his Spartan Ventures fundraising campaign. Tom has earned the right to end his career on his terms, but each new basketball season is one closer towards his retirement. With the 2027 Final Four in Detroit and the recent success of its rivals, it’s time for MSU to walk the walk and act like the elite basketball program that it is.
After the UConn game, Izzo was asked where he sees himself in five years. He responded, “Trying to win a national championship – plain and simple.”
Let’s do it then, Tom – just make sure you’ve exhausted all resources to get the talent to do so.
