MSU's Izzo Reaches Milestone with Win over North Dakota State

BUFFALO, N.Y. --- Tom Izzo joined a rather exclusive club on Thursday.

With (3) Michigan State's 92-67 victory over (14) North Dakota State in the first round of March Madness, Izzo picked up the 60th NCAA Tournament victory of his career. Only five other coaches in college basketball history have as much, them being Duke's Mike Krzyzewski (101), Kansas/North Carolina's Roy Williams (77), UNC's Dean Smith (65), Syracuse's Jim Boeheim, and Kentucky/Arkansas's John Calipari (60).

More importantly to Izzo, his team advanced to the second round of this year's tournament, where the Spartans will meet up against sixth-seeded Louisville. The Cardinals advanced earlier Thursday with an 83-79 victory over (11) South Florida.

This is the fifth straight season that Izzo has won at least one tournament game and reached the Round of 32. Another triumph on Saturday would tie Izzo with Boeheim on the leaderboard and also bring him to his 17th Sweet Sixteen in his 31st year as Michigan State's head coach.

Izzo Postgame

"I'm blessed," Izzo said after the game. "I really am. Listen, we've got a bunch of guys that the last couple years have just hung together and worked together. I used to play North Dakota State when I was in Division II, drove all the way up there, 500 miles to scout them from Marquette...

"I don't take anything for granted. I've been a part of those upsets, and I've been a part of doing the upsets. I like when people are shooting at you. That means you're somewhere. To be on the top that we've been, at least right there where it matters if somebody beats you, trust me, that's a good thing. I don't want to be the other thing anymore. I was that early in my career. It's not as much fun."

Also worth noting is that Izzo is here in the tournament for the 28th time in a row, and it would be 29 if the 2020 NCAA Tournament hadn't been cancelled due to COVID. That streak for MSU is tied for the longest tournament streak recognized by the NCAA ever (Kansas has been in 36 in a row, but it vacated its 2018 appearance).

Izzo talks a lot during tournament time about "winning the weekend." He and his team have completed the first leg. Louisville is up next, and it will be the fourth time in Izzo's career that he's faced the Cardinals in "The Big Dance." MSU has won two of those three games, with the last meeting being an overtime win for Michigan State in the 2015 Elite Eight.