Spartans’ Surge Puts Izzo Back in Coach-of-Year Mix
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In his 31st season at Michigan State, head coach Tom Izzo is off to a strong start at 8–1. Before the loss to Duke, the Spartans were off to their best opening stretch since the 2015–16 season.
Coming into the year, Michigan State was ranked 22nd in the preseason AP Top 25. Other Big Ten teams, such as Purdue, Michigan, UCLA, and Illinois, were ranked ahead of the Spartans. Now, only Purdue and Michigan sit above MSU, as the Spartans have climbed 13 spots to No. 9 in the country.
With the early success, Izzo has gained national attention as a potential Coach of the Year candidate. Jeff Goodman is among those who believe he belongs in the conversation.
Goodman, of On3 and The Field of 68, released his Coach of the Year power rankings and listed Izzo at No. 4—behind Iowa State’s T.J. Otzelberger, Vanderbilt's Mark Byington, and Michigan’s Dusty May.
Thoughts On Izzo
“The 70-year-old Hall of Famer, who has made it no secret that he isn’t a fan of the transfer portal, has done it with retention,” Goodman said. “After four straight mediocre seasons by Izzo standards, the Spartans won the Big Ten and went to the Elite Eight last season.
“This year, despite losing Jase Richardson to the NBA and Jaden Akins and Tre Holloman (NC State), Michigan State has beaten Arkansas, Kentucky, North Carolina and Iowa – with the lone loss coming against Duke. Izzo’s team was picked in the middle of the pack in the Big Ten by most, but might have a chance to win the league again.”
Michigan State faced a challenging offseason. After a stellar freshman season, Jase Richardson declared for the NBA Draft and was selected 25th overall by the Orlando Magic. Seniors Jaden Akins, Frankie Fidler, and Szymon Zapala graduated, and sixth man Tre Holloman entered the transfer portal.
Players like Jaxon Kohler, Carson Cooper, Jeremy Fears, and Coen Carr—who were mostly role players last season—have stepped into much larger responsibilities. Fears now leads the nation in assists and has emerged as the rising star of the team.
Despite his past criticism of the transfer portal, Izzo was forced to dip into it this offseason to help fill roster gaps. Through the portal, he added several important contributors, including point guard Divine Ugochukwu, Trey Fort, and forward Kaleb Glen, who suffered an offseason injury and will miss the year. Freshmen Jordan Scott and Cam Ward have also given MSU valuable minutes off the bench.
This Spartans team is one of the most well-rounded Izzo has had in recent years. Entering the season underrated by many, Izzo is once again proving doubters wrong—and could very well lead Michigan State to back-to-back Big Ten titles.
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