Michigan State's Tom Izzo, Gabe Brown get into heated exchange at halftime vs. UCLA
Michigan State basketball coach Tom Izzo has always been hard on his players. During NCAA Tournament action on Thursday, he got into a heated altercation with one of those players.
On the final play of the first half against UCLA, there was a miscommunication between Michigan's Malik Hall and Gabe Brown that led to an opener jumper made by UCLA's Jaime Jaquez Jr.
Brown and Hall had a short exchange after the play, but things got more heated between Brown and Izzo as they headed to the locker room. As Brown turned away, Izzo grabbed Brown's arm and then tried to hold onto the back of his jersey.
It's unclear what words the two exchanged, but Brown must have taken exception to something Izzo said because he turned around quickly and got in Izzo's face before continuing to walk away.
Former Michigan State players defended Izzo on social media, including Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green and Delvon Roe.
Again, this isn't the first time Izzo has raised eyebrows with his behavior during games. In the first round of the 2019 NCAA Tournament, Izzo screamed at Aaron Henry during a pause in action. Henry wasn't upset by the exchange and the two moved on from it.
Izzo has coached Michigan State since the 1995-96 season.
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