In a tense moment in Atlanta, Michigan State’s influential coach, Tom Izzo, was visibly distressed, pounding the scorer’s table and clasping his hands behind his head. He was at a loss for how his Spartans could muster some vital points during the NCAA Tournament’s South Region final.
Even with his players’ relentless efforts, the basketball eluded him. In a particularly agonizing stretch, Michigan State failed to score despite snagging three consecutive offensive rebounds, prompting Izzo to avert his eyes in dismay.
It was another year added to the drought since Izzo’s single national championship won a quarter-century ago, as his team fell to Auburn with a score of 70-64. The Spartans, who initially had an 8-6 lead, found themselves in a 17-0 run that turned their advantage into a daunting 23-8 deficit.
“We started off with that rough patch,” Izzo remarked, a gesture of helplessness accompanying his words. “We had our chances. The shots didn’t fall. It’s just one of those things.”
With a roster that Izzo holds dear, but not necessarily the most skilled of his enduring career, the Spartans shot a disheartening 34.4% from the field, succeeding only 24 times out of 64 attempts, including a modest 7 of 23 from beyond the arc.
Never lacking in determination, this endeavor ended with more hustle than baskets. “This team has made me so proud,” Izzo asserted. “They’ve left it all out there. They need a week to recover; they gave everything to this season.”
The defeat in Atlanta was the first for Izzo against Southeastern Conference teams in NCAA history, ending his impeccable 10-0 record and halting Michigan State’s journey one game short of reaching the prestigious Final Four.
“I believed we had the edge,” Bruce Pearl, Auburn’s coach, said graciously. “But I highly respect Michigan State.”
Tom Izzo’s lone national championship in 2000 remains a cherished memory, won with a mighty team featuring standouts like Mateen Cleaves and Morris Peterson. Remarkably, Izzo now coaches a team including Jase Richardson, the son of Jason Richardson, another talent from that victorious era.
Jase, held to 11 points, acknowledged Auburn’s strong defense. “They made it difficult every time you tried to advance. It was incredibly tight.”
The sting of falling short in the tournament was palpable, though Izzo defended his players vehemently. “I have no qualms. This team has connected in unprecedented ways. What they achieved for themselves and the larger Michigan State community is priceless.”
In the climactic moments, with the end certain, Izzo sat, pondering his team’s fate draped with an Elite Eight towel. Surveying the court as time ticked away, he signaled his players to let the remaining seconds expire, before exchanging a mutual mark of respect with the opposing coach.
“Only one can advance,” Izzo noted, accepting the outcome. The tears came from a shared heartbreak, not from dissatisfaction. “This locker room isn’t filled with complaints but with emotions and embraces. It signifies something unique.”