Michigan State HC Tom Izzo gets 100% real on hanging banners after Sweet 16 win
03/28/2025 11:25 PM
Tom Izzo and the Michigan State Spartans grinded out a 73-70 win over the Ole Miss Rebels in the Sweet 16 to advance to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament.
It marked the 15th time in program history that they reached the Elite Eight, their 11th under Izzo. Their consistent success as a contender in the biggest tournament of college basketball goes to show how elite they are with Izzo at the helm.
However, Izzo isn’t getting too excited over the Elite Eight. After the game, he emphasized that the Spartans don’t hang banners for reaching that round of the NCAA Tournament. Instead, they do it for two things.
"We don't put up banners for great eights. We put up banners for final fours and championships," Izzo said.
How Tom Izzo, Michigan State played against Ole Miss
It was a tough win for Tom Izzo and the 2-seed Michigan State Spartans to escape with, fending off a feisty Ole Miss squad.
The 6-seed Rebels had the 33-31 lead at halftime and put the Spartans on the ropes throughout the second half. However, Michigan State made enough plays down the stretch to fight back and secure the win.
Four players scored in double-digits for the Spartans. Jase Richardson led the way with 20 points and six rebounds. He shot 6-of-8 from the field, including 4-of-6 from beyond the arc. Coen Carr came next with 15 points, Jaden Akins put up 13 points and four rebounds, while Tre Holloman provided 10 points.
Michigan State improved to a 30-6 overall record, having gone 17-3 in Big Ten Play. They average 78.1 points on 46.1% shooting overall and 31.1% from downtown. As a result, they take down opponents by a margin of 11 points per game.
The Spartans will prepare for their next matchup in the Elite Eight. They face the winner of 5-seed Michigan and 1-seed Auburn on Sunday.
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