Tom Izzo Wanted to Enjoy This Win for a Second Before Thinking About the Next One

The Spartans will face Ole Miss on Friday night.
Tom Izzo learned Ole Miss had won after everyone else.
Tom Izzo learned Ole Miss had won after everyone else. / CBS Sports

Michigan State was able to get by upset-minded New Mexico on Sunday night to advance into the Sweet 16. It's Tom Izzo's 16th trip this deep into the NCAA tournament with the Spartans and they'll square off against Ole Miss in Atlanta on Friday. Izzo, who was busy preparing for and coaching his game, did not have eyes on the Rebels as they crushed Iowa State and only learned about the development via an interview with CBS Sports' Jon Rothstein minutes after Michigan State's win.

"I didn't know they won," Izzo said. "Did they win?"

Izzo then went into an answer about Chris Beard-coached teams and their intensity before realizing that he could probably address all this later and there was a jubilant team waiting for him in the locker room.

"Can I enjoy this until I get to the locker room?" he asked Rothstein.

Which Izzo proceeded to do before worrying about what Beard's Ole Miss team would present with a spot in the Elite Eight on the line. MSU plays the first of two games in the South regional so they'll be able to kick back and watch whomever emerges from the Michigan-Auburn tilt. Or their season will be over by then.

Either way, no more surprises regarding upcoming opponents for Izzo this year.


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Kyle Koster
KYLE KOSTER

Kyle Koster is an assistant managing editor at Sports Illustrated covering the intersection of sports and media. He was formerly the editor in chief of The Big Lead, where he worked from 2011 to '24. Koster also did turns at the Chicago Sun-Times, where he created the Sports Pros(e) blog, and at Woven Digital.