Michigan State HC Tom Izzo delivers 4-word declaration after punching Elite 8 ticket

03/29/2025 12:49 AM

2024-25 has been an incredible season for Michigan State basketball, and the Spartans are still rolling. Despite a slow start, second-seeded Michigan State came back and played a strong second half to pull off a very tight 73-70 win over No. 6 seed Ole Miss in the Sweet 16.

Tom Izzo and company really had to grind for this win against a hot Ole Miss squad that was playing its best basketball of the season in this NCAA Tournament. After the game, the longtime head coach got emotional on the court when talking about his team.

"I love these guys"

Tom Izzo gets emotional showing love to his squad after a big comeback win in the Sweet 16 #MarchMadnesspic.twitter.com/BABwujnfEb

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 29, 2025

“I love these guys,” Izzo said after the Michigan State win. “It’s simple. They don’t quit. We’ve been a second half team. One of these days we’re gonna be a first half team.”

After winning the regular season title in the Big Ten, Michigan State is now off to the Elite Eight where it will have a chance to make yet another Final Four. Izzo has already reached eight Final Fours in his career with the Spartans, so he will be no stranger to the occasion on Sunday.

In the first half against Ole Miss, the Spartans struggled with an athletic defense that was flying around and packing the paint, forcing Michigan State to shoot it from the perimeter. However, Izzo’s squad battled back in the final minutes of the opening frame to make it just a two-point deficit at the break.

In the second half, the two teams went back and forth, but some big shots from Jase Richardson proved to be the difference as this Michigan State basketball team was able to pull ahead and eventually get the win.

Now, Izzo and company await the winner of Auburn and Michigan, who are battling it out in the second regional semifinal in Atlanta. Michigan State and Auburn would be a heavyweight tilt between two of the top teams in the country all season long, while a matchup with the Wolverines would be a trilogy of a great rivalry after Michigan State took both regular season meetings.

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