Spartans Toughness Overcomes More Athletic and More Talented Louisville To Advance to Izzo’s Seventh Final Four

Spartans Toughness Overcomes More Athletic and More Talented Louisville To Advance to Izzo’s Seventh Final Four Carrier Dome Syracuse, NY It was

Spartans Toughness Overcomes More Athletic and More Talented Louisville To Advance to Izzo’s Seventh Final Four

Carrier Dome

Syracuse, NY

It was improbable, but as long as Tom Izzo is the head coach of the Michigan State Spartans you can never count them out. The Spartans played a more talented group of players, who were vastly more athletic, but the Spartans played disciplined and the Cardinals didn’t and they conquered. 76-70 was the Final and Tom Izzo’s least talented team of the last 18 years is headed were several of his more talented teams didn’t, The Final Four.

Why? Because Izzo always says, “Hard work beats talent, when talent doesn’t work hard.” This team may not be as athletic or talented, but they are a better team.

Izzo said, “So as a football fan, we're not going to Disney, but we are going to Indy. We're excited about it. These guys did a heck of a job after a sluggish first half where I thought Louisville played very well. We just didn't defend as well in that first half. They really got back to who we are. Holding a team like that to 5-of-25 from the field in the second half is remarkable. Got our running game going. Each one of these guys did some things that helped us win the game. That's why they're our stars, and that's what I appreciate about them. They're our veterans. They were on a mission to maybe start their own legacy. There's so many times where you're following people, and once that streak was broken last year, I think theirs was, let's start a new one. So I'm just happy and proud and excited. Incredible amount of Michigan State people here tonight. I want to thank them, too.”

Speaking of the amazing fan turnout Branden Dawson was fired up about Spartan Nation in the house. “I think it was great for us. When I looked in the crowd and I saw that we had that so many fans, I was kind of surprised because at the Big Ten Tournament we didn't have those many fans. But just to see them come out and support us, it was motivating. I think they helped us a lot tonight.”

Branden Dawson had nine points and 11 boards, but was priceless on defense and making the undisciplined Cardinals make adjustments. When Cardinal junior forward Montrezl Harrell foolishly called him out as a person who wouldn’t give the effort that he would just one day previous, Dawson took notice, but remained humble. “It's driven me a lot throughout my career. During the season, we had an up-and-down season, but Coach is always on me. Other coaches and players, my teammates, they're always on me. So throughout my career, Coach G, before the game, he told me, "Don't pay attention to what everyone else is saying." He said, "Just go out and just have faith and believe." I just told myself, hey, don't think about anything, just go out, just play hard, and we're in a great position.”

Denzel Valentine was asked about the Spartans (the only non-number seed to make the Final Four) being underdog. He said, “That's a trick question because we kind of are the underdog. We believe that we can be here. We deserve it. We played great teams on our way to the Final Four. You can kind of say yes and kind of say no.”

Izzo didn’t want to talk underdog he wanted to shout like an evangelical choir. “Just can't believe where we're going. I'm going to feel that way until the plane lands, and then it will be fun to go to work and see if we can keep this magical journey going.”

But after reaching his seventh Final Four with this win, Izzo didn’t want to talk about himself. He reflected and talked about his staff. “I said I've had a couple of staff members in Mike and D.J. -- Mike's been here almost the whole time other than a couple of years. D.J.'s been here 11, 12 years, and Dane has four years in now. Those guys have brought him along now. He was a head coach. D.J.'s going to be. They do a good job. They support me. They're loyal. And they work. I mean, each one of them has scouting, and this weekend each one of them had one to do. They argued over who they thought was going to win that first game, but they worked diligently with our video guy. We had everything down. We just really could have used another day. I am really impressed with Rick and his team because it's not like that's the same team for him. He's brought a different team in, too, and they went through a few distractions themselves. You talk about a guy that's gotten it done and gotten it done in different places. He did a hell of a job. I hope it was as entertaining a game as it seemed from my bench. I'm sure I would look at it as not as entertaining if we lost, but it was a heck of a game where two teams gave everything they got. Sometimes it wasn't pretty, but they did, and I think that's a tribute to Rick Pitino and the job he's done. I think my assistants have done an unbelievable job. I say that, again, without humility. I say that with honesty. So I'm lucky. I'm lucky I got players that care and are loyal to me. I got former players that are. And I got a hell of a staff.”

As Izzo walked off the stage tonight the tears where in his eyes. He hugged his son and told him he loved him and went to find Earvin MAGIC Johnson. The miracle worker of March had done it again. He wanted to celebrate with another Magic man.

Izzo has had more talented teams (last year’s being the latest) that didn’t make it this far, but this one is special. When his career is over it will be outranked as his favorite team only by the National Championship campaign (Unless somehow they win it all this year). Call them Cinderella, call them whatever you want, but know this one fact.

At 6:09 PM ET on TBS next Saturday Tom Izzo will face Duke for the second time this year. They played in Indianapolis way back on November 18, 2014 and lost 81-71. Don’t call the other Spartan Magic man out. His team is dancing and they don’t have the talent of Duke, but they have ">the heart of Rocky Balboa, the ">closeness of the Brady Bunch and they are as fierce as ">300 Spartans who fought at Thermopylae.

Vegas won’t pick the Spartans, but by now everyone knows you never count a Tom Izzo team out. Especially in March. Especially in Indianapolis. That is the town the Big Ten last won a national championship in and that team was the Spartans in 2000.

Say what you want about a Big Ten conference that took a beating all year by the national media. Two of the Final Four share the conference moniker and both aren’t done yet. Bring on Duke, bring on Coach 1K and bring on the Final Four. Tonight we dine in greatness.