Best Tournament Coach Ever?

[Mayor McCheese]

Has there been a coach who has done more in the tournament with less than Tom Izzo

Never seems likely to make a deep run, yet always does.

Extremely impressive

[MauraDay]

I'd pretty much rather play anyone else in the tournament than an Izzo-coached team in March.

[tower912]

My second favorite team.   It doesn't matter what goes on in December, January, or February, if they get in they are a threat.    But this is Izzo's best coaching job ever.    They lost their Dominic James during the tournament and managed to get to the final 4 playing a former walk on, as well as another guard who got very few minutes during the year.   Amazing.   That is what I get for not putting them in the FF in my bracket. 

[ChicosBailBonds]

Has there been a coach who has done more in the tournament with less than Tom Izzo

Never seems likely to make a deep run, yet always does.

Extremely impressive

I just love how it pisses off Badger fans to no end, so I'm happy about it.   I have WVU and Duke in the Final Four, too bad I screwed the pooch on the other side of the bracket.  Grrrr.

[WellsstreetWanderer]

Same for me, Chicos, I got half the final four correct but........

[CrimsonNCrean]

are you serious?  RMK, if not for May's injured hand..  Landon Turner's injury...    Kitchel's bad back...   and Henderson's knee Bob would have at least 3 more rings......   

The General was and is the bomb...   

and he did not need UNC or UCLA type talent to do it...   

[NickelDimer]

It's unreal.  Izzo's teams always always always play his style in the tourney.  They're so well schooled.

I think MSU BBall is the most underrated program in all the NCAA sports.

[NavinRJohnson]

I was convinced this would be the year they didn't pull that surprise run, and here they are again.

[Mike Deane]

How could you diss Bo?

[ChicosBailBonds]

It's unreal.  Izzo's teams always always always play his style in the tourney.  They're so well schooled.

I think MSU BBall is the most underrated program in all the NCAA sports.

It took a miracle win for them to get this far, but often a Final Four team wins a game on the brink.  They've certainly played a ton of close games.  6 Final Fours in 12 years, very impressive.  My only qualms is with the original thread start suggesting maybe they are doing it "with less".  This team is picked near the top of the Big Ten every year, they have outstanding recruiting classes every year.  I'm not on board with them somehow doing this with lesser talent than others.

[wadesworld]

I've said it for a while now.  The dude is unbelievable come tournament time.

And the Wisconsin boards are pretty funny to look at.  Even when they try to compliment him it comes off as sour grapes.  Many of the posts over there have to do with:

- They got an easy draw.  My response to that: OK, they beat who was put out there in front of them, and that's all you can do.  So because they got an easy draw this year means we should take credit away from Izzo, getting to 6 FF in 12 years?  Makes sense.
- If UW switched brackets they'd be in the FF.  My response: HAH!  Not a chance.  Maryland scored 84 (I believe...I know it was in the 80s) points in their loss to Michigan State.  If UW couldn't stop Cornell from lighting them up, I have my doubts they would have done so against an even better Maryland team with a stud (Vazquez).  Also, it's not like UW got a super hard draw.  They drew an 11 seed in Wofford (not exactly the same caliber as an 11 seed in Washington there...Washington would have run them off of the court) and then a 12 seed in Cornell, and still couldn't make it into the 2nd week.  So they feel that they could've beat an 11, 4, 9, and 6 then?  Makes sense.
- Michigan State hasn't had to play a team seeded higher than 4 to get to the National Championship game and has beaten only 1 team seeded above them.  My response: Again, so what?  They beat who they played.  Not to mention, hasn't Bo only beat 1 team that was seeded higher than his team EVER in the NCAA Tournament?  And that came like 2 years ago?  (I could be wrong on this, but I think I remember hearing it.)
- Bo owns Izzo.  My response:  HAH!  Do they think Izzo really cares what his record is against UW?
- (Related to the last 1): If these teams are going to the Final Four then they are underachieving by not winning the Big Ten every year.  My response:  Again, HAH!  1. The best regular season teams don't always win the NCAA Tournament and aren't always even the best team in the conference.  It's a long season and a lot of things happen for multiple reasons.  Also, my guess is that Izzo isn't thinking "We need to win the Big Ten, forget about the NCAA Tournament."  My guess is that he has a plan going into every season on how to have the most success, and if he doesn't win the Big Ten these plans aren't ruined.
- If March rules, then making the Final Four means nothing, you have to win it all.  My response: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!  These people are unbelievable.  That's all that I feel like I should need to say.

Sour grapes all over the delusional UW board.  Pretty funny stuff.

[Norm]

Hey, I'm a big Izzo fan and totally respect him getting MSU there 6 of the last 12 years. But to say he "has dome more in the tournament with less" isn't exactly accurate. MSU's roster is loaded with top 100 players, and has been for about the last 15-20 years. Here's this year's team RSCI rankings coming out of high schoolf:

2006
#34 Raymar Morgan 6'7" WF
#47 Tom Herzog 7'0" C
#67 Isaiah Dahlman 6'6" WF

2007
#28 Durrell Summers 6'5" WG
#34 Kalin Lucas 6'0" PG
#38 Chris Allen 6'3" WG

2008
#10 Delvon Roe 6'8" PF
#87 Korie Lucious 5'11" PG
#95 Draymond Green 6'6" PF

2009
#88 Derrick Nix 6'9" C

These players are pretty talented.

[Mayor McCheese]

are you serious?  RMK, if not for May's injured hand..  Landon Turner's injury...    Kitchel's bad back...   and Henderson's knee Bob would have at least 3 more rings......   

The General was and is the bomb...   

and he did not need UNC or UCLA type talent to do it...   

Yeah... but did Knight make 6 in 12 years?  And personally I think the talent pool these days is MUCH deeper than when Bobby was running the show, which although MSU gets better players because of it... so does the field.

Bob Knight is a top 5 coach all-time, however Izzo is inching himself up there.  When does Izzo get talked about in the same sentence as the greats.

The only coach I consider better than him is Coach K, and even him I have some doubts.  Roy Williams, no, this year proved it.  Bill Self... no. 

[HouWarrior]

few here may remember him , but as far as getting more with less check out d crum's teams at louisville(6 final fours, 2 champs and lots of sweet 16's etc); tough man to man, UCLA style high pickin. Few can name any big stars on any of his teams. He was Izzo before there was Izzo

[TallTitan34]

When Michigan State won I texted my friend that Izzo was the best tournament coach ever. He replyed that it had to be John Wooden.  The more I think about it Wooden had tons more talent than Izzo. Wooden won several more though so I can't decide whose better.

[KipsBayEagle]

John Wooden?

[spartan3186]

My second favorite team.   It doesn't matter what goes on in December, January, or February, if they get in they are a threat.    But this is Izzo's best coaching job ever.    They lost their Dominic James during the tournament and managed to get to the final 4 playing a former walk on, as well as another guard who got very few minutes during the year.   Amazing.   That is what I get for not putting them in the FF in my bracket. 

Kiebler actually has some Marquette ties. His sister is a 1L at Marquette Law.

[NavinRJohnson]

These players are pretty talented.

Of course they are, but there are plenty of coaches with similar rosters that have not come anywhere close to what Izzo has done. I think that's the point. Even when not much is expected of them, they seem to just keep playing.

[Mayor McCheese]

John Wooden?

A contemporary philosopher and a brilliant man, but some of his teams I could have coached to championships

[pillardean]

Has there been a coach who has done more in the tournament with less than Tom Izzo

Never seems likely to make a deep run, yet always does.

Extremely impressive

Weren't they preseason number 2?  I know it's preseason but it shows talent in relation to the rest of the teams. 

Their most difficult game was against a four team that I thought was weak.  That was their best win on this run.  Hell of a job by MSU, for sure.  But not legendary, it seemed almost as if the waters parted and the BBALL gods were like, "here you go, go to the Final Four."  Just my take.

[ChicosBailBonds]

A contemporary philosopher and a brilliant man, but some of his teams I could have coached to championships

People forget he won his first two titles with no one taller than 6'4".

It wasn't until later that the talent came in.   His last title was a good team, but other teams had more talent by that time

[CrimsonNCrean]

Michigan State has never been short on talent under Izzo...

[radome]

From CBS Sports

Report: Oregon ready to throw a bundle at Izzo
Posted on: March 29, 2010 11:50

A television report out of Oregon says that the Ducks are preparing to make Tom Izzo the highest-paid coach in college basketball.

If nothing else, Oregon is sending a message that it is willing to pay top dollar. Obviously, Phil Knight and his millions are invovled. It's unlikely that Izzo will go because he hasn't yet. That's one of his strong points over the years. There has long been speculation that East Lansing couldn't hold him, but Izzo has stayed loyal. He's the anti-Calipari, if you will. That's why, in the words of a sign held up Sunday in St. Louis, "Izzo is the Shizzo".

The basketball hire is the next step in Oregon establishing national programs in both major sports. Mike Bellotti got football there. Chip Kelly, even with the recent suspensions, looks like he is ready to carry it to the next level. Whoever walks into the basketball situation will have some work to do but lack of financing and support won't be excuses.

Remember, I said "national programs", not "national powers." Football is close but needs to compete for, and win, more BCS bowls. Basketball awaits its future. Hmm, wonder what kind of shoes they'll wear?