If you have read anything I have said about Tom Izzo at Michigan State, You know I think he is probably the best head coach in college basketball. Right now, Michigan State is playing as well as anyone in the Big Ten though Indiana could give them problems.. They are clicking well on offense right now.. I know Izzo is not as happy as he would like to be about their defense, but that still may come.. His teams always seem to finish the year strong.
I live about 2 hours from the Michigan State campus and have been privileged to attend a practice as an observer. I also have talked to some players that have graduated from Michigan State....For instance, AJ Granger lives about an hour south of me in Findlay, Ohio where he works at an employment company. He grew up in the area as well. He was the center on the Izzo national championship team and you get a flavor for how Izzo does things by listening to guys like that. Izzo is a winner, through and through.. More about caring for his players than "X's and O's".. Trust me, he has recruited some difficult kids to deal with over the years.... I said that the 2 toughest places I have seen HS basketball is Flint, Michigan and Gary Indiana.. Izzo has recruited kids from both areas. He has, at times, been the father figure that some of his kids have never had in their lives.. He has a way of breaking kids down then building them back up, just like the military has done for many people..
I am not going to say Izzo is a miracle worker because he has some real advantages, even from the get-go.. He took over an established program from the retired Jud Heathcote.. The Breslin Center was new during his reign.. The contacts in Flint were established and Michigan made some huge recruiting tactical errors, in my opinion, that opened doors for Izzo at Michigan State. So he had some things fall his way, no doubt.. You have to recruit talent to win like he does, no doubt.. But what he does with the kids, once they get to campus, is what is impressive. I realize that he does not have the championships like Coach K, or Williams at North Carolina but he is just a top-of-the-line guy that gets the best out of his kids in a continuous upward trajectory.
I live about 2 hours from the Michigan State campus and have been privileged to attend a practice as an observer. I also have talked to some players that have graduated from Michigan State....For instance, AJ Granger lives about an hour south of me in Findlay, Ohio where he works at an employment company. He grew up in the area as well. He was the center on the Izzo national championship team and you get a flavor for how Izzo does things by listening to guys like that. Izzo is a winner, through and through.. More about caring for his players than "X's and O's".. Trust me, he has recruited some difficult kids to deal with over the years.... I said that the 2 toughest places I have seen HS basketball is Flint, Michigan and Gary Indiana.. Izzo has recruited kids from both areas. He has, at times, been the father figure that some of his kids have never had in their lives.. He has a way of breaking kids down then building them back up, just like the military has done for many people..
I am not going to say Izzo is a miracle worker because he has some real advantages, even from the get-go.. He took over an established program from the retired Jud Heathcote.. The Breslin Center was new during his reign.. The contacts in Flint were established and Michigan made some huge recruiting tactical errors, in my opinion, that opened doors for Izzo at Michigan State. So he had some things fall his way, no doubt.. You have to recruit talent to win like he does, no doubt.. But what he does with the kids, once they get to campus, is what is impressive. I realize that he does not have the championships like Coach K, or Williams at North Carolina but he is just a top-of-the-line guy that gets the best out of his kids in a continuous upward trajectory.
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