MSU's Tom Izzo Previews BGSU Exhibition, Talks Rivalry with UM

EAST LANSING, Mich. --- Michigan State men's basketball is nearing its return to a game in front of fans inside the Breslin Center, as the Spartans are set to take on Bowling Green for an exhibition match on Thursday at 7 p.m. ET.

Tom Izzo is about to embark on his 31st season as MSU's head coach. Last season, he captured his 11th Big Ten regular season championship and was named the conference's coach of the year for the fourth time.

On Tuesday evening, Izzo talked to the media about his team's first of two exhibitions, shared a frank opinion on the news that G-League players can play college basketball now, discussed several other basketball-related topics, and also talked about what Michigan State-Michigan week for football is like for him.

A full video of Izzo's press conference can be viewed below.

Watch Tom Izzo here:

In addition, a partial transcript of it has been provided.

Transcript

Michigan State's coach Tom Izzo looks on during the first day of basketball practice on Monday, Sept. 22, 2025, at the Breslin Center in East Lansing. | Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

IZZO: Well, it's finally here. It seems like it's been a long time. These summers get long. When you've got summer, and then you've got the workouts now, it's a long time for these guys, in fairness to them.

Coaches can handle it, but players... I understand why they get a little sick of playing each other. So I think they're excited to play Thursday. I know I am. You (the media) probably are.

I mean, I don't know whose got what. That's going to be determined over the next couple of weeks. A lot of work to do.

We're excited to go, and I think our guys showed it in practice today. Practiced pretty good.

Michigan State's Jaden Akins, right, moves the ball as Bowling Green's Javontae Campbell defends during the first half on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, Breslin Center in East Lansing. | Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Q: Seeing Bowling Green last year and trailing them by a decent amount, does that kind of help wake you guys up for an exhibition game to see what you've got to start?

IZZO: I'm always awake. It's not me. That's a good question for them (the players).

But you won't see many of the same players. This is another thing I said I'm gonna do next year, is whoever we scrimmage, I'm going to see if we can exchange some tape of our practices, because it's so ridiculous that we have so many new guys.

Not their fault. But it's harder for you to get something out of me. We're watching tape of junior college games. We're watching tape of two or three different teams. On one guy we're watching EYBL tape.

That's the part that's a little confusing. I'd rather send them our tape; they send us their tape.

Tom Izzo | Starr Portice, Michigan State Spartans On SI

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