After getting routed 88-74 at Northwestern, in a game that was more lopsided than the box score would indicate, Tom Izzo began his postgame press conference by saying he’s embarrassed to be a Michigan State Spartan.
“They kicked our butt in every physical way they could,” he told the media assembled at Welsh-Ryan Arena. “They deserved to win, and we deserved to get our ass kicked…That was not Spartan basketball.”
I LOVE THIS??
Maybe it’s an age thing but I feel the same way as Tom Izzo?? pic.twitter.com/bzfDjEVxs4
— Eldridge Recasner (@erecasner) January 8, 2024
And while yes, there were plenty of Grandpa Abe Simpson “Old Man Yells at Cloud” moments in this postgame presser, Tom Izzo made a lot of great points too. He is spot on about the lack of personal accountability and individual responsibility these days.
It’s like when Homer Simpson, in a 2002 episode of The Simpsons, responded to someone calling him a “drunken, childish, buffoon” with “and it’s society’s fault because…
“I am disappointed in the way we played. For the 29 years of players I had before this, that’s disappointing; that’s not Spartan basketball.”
Tom Izzo gives his thoughts on Michigan State’s 88-74 loss at Northwestern. pic.twitter.com/Kk6L59lql3
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) January 8, 2024
As Izzo said twice tonight “You can’t blame players these days, for anything.” The second time he said, Izzo added “I’m not being sarcastic.
He said the accountability is with him, or with coaches generally: “It falls on me,” adding that the ass-kicking Northwestern game him, made him feel embarrassed for “the 29 years of Spartans that came before him.
State has now lost three in a row to Northwestern (for the first time since 1959-1962), and four of the last five against the Wildcats.
Another classic moment of this presser was when Izzo said “you analytics guys,” to Andy Katz while holding up a stat sheet, and then quickly showing his disdain for it, by slamming the paper to the table.
Tom Izzo also said he “hates” analytics, and believes they’re “crap.” I don’t agree, but there is some validity to this position.
All in all, Tom Izzo might be entering that Roy Williams, Mike Krzyzewski, Jay Wright zone…he doesn’t need to keep doing this much longer. He’s accomplished plenty enough as it is.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He’s written for numerous publications, including the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. He regularly appears on NTD News and WGN News Now, while writing for the International Baseball Writers Association of America. You can follow the website on Twitter.