Michigan State Spartans coach Tom Izzo may have failed to lead his team deeper to the 2024 NCAA Tournament, but fans can be assured that he’s not discouraged in any way despite the setback.
Instead, the latest defeat against the North Carolina Tar Heels seems to have lit a fire inside the legendary tactician as the Spartans now look to reload in the offseason.
Tom Izzo, Michigan State Spartans Lose To North Carolina Tar Heels
The Spartans entered the season with massive expectation, as they were ranked no. 4 on the AP Top 25 poll prior to the start of the season. However, they struggled for consistency throughout the campaign and finished with a 20-15 overall record, which earned them just the ninth seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Michigan State took care of business in the first round after destroying Mississippi State 69-51, but in the second round against the top-seeded Tar Heels, they folded.
After a dominant first half that saw them take the 40-31 lead, North Carolina maintained their momentum to halt any potential Michigan State comeback.
Defense was the name of the game for the Tar Heels, as they tallied six blocks and five steals. They also took care of the ball really well with just five turnovers, as compared to the Spartans’ 11. RJ Davis was the only 20-point scorer for North Carolina with exactly 20 points, but three others scored in double figures.
The Spartans had Tyson Walker drop 24 points, but he didn’t get much help, with Malik Hall and Jaden Ankins the only other Michigan State players to score more than 10 points. Hall had 17, while Ankins chipped in 17.
It didn’t help the Spartans that they shot poorly from the free-throw line (73.3 percent) and from beyond the arc (37.5 percent). The Tar Heels were simply the better team, and it showed.
It’s now the fourth straight season that Michigan State failed to even reach the Final Four, with the last time they did so back in 2019.
Tom Izzo’s Promise to Michigan State Spartans
Despite the ugly defeat in the second round, however, Tom Izzo remains optimistic that his Michigan State Spartans can bounce back. He promised as much, as he declared that he will do anything to help his team make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament once again.
“I’m getting back to a deeper run in this tournament or I’m going to die trying. I haven’t finished what I want to accomplish. So, I’m going to try doing that. Are things more frustrating? 100 percent. But I think they helped energize me the last couple of week,” Izzo shared, via Seth Wells of News 10.
Izzo last won the NCAA Tournament title with Michigan State back in 2000, so the urge and pressure for him to get back to the pinnacle has been high. Clearly, though, Izzo feels the same as he aims to win college basketball’s biggest prize.
It remains to be seen what kind of changes Izzo will make after their rather disappointing run in the 2023-24 season, but the Spartan faithful can certainly rest easy knowing that the motivation of their coach is at an all-time high.
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