Michigan State Spartans News

Home

Quizzes

Newsletter

USA TODAY Sports

MAGICAL: Tom Izzo's son, Steven, scores first career points at Michigan State

Originally posted on FanNation Spartan Nation
By Matthew Lounsberry | Last updated 1/14/24

Coming off back-to-back losses in Big Ten Conference play, Michigan State men's basketball got a much-needed win over Rutgers on Sunday afternoon to get back on track.

The Spartans dominated the second half, using a 19-0 run to take a commanding lead as the game entered its final minute. As is usual for Michigan State with the game decided, head coach Tom Izzo subbed in walk-ons Steven Izzo and Nick Sanders to close out the game for the Spartans.

It was the 43rd career appearance in a game for Steven, Tom's son, and it'll be one that's remembered forever. With 35 seconds left, Steven created separated with a nifty crossover between the legs and threw up a floater over his much-taller and longer defender which bounced around and fell through the net for the younger Izzo's first career basket.

Take a look...

Michigan State's bench and the entirety of the Breslin Center crowd erupted in pandemonium as the shot found the bottom of the net, but Steven calmly knocked down the "and-one" free throw after a brief celebration with his teammates and his dad, the head coach.

After the game, both Tom and Steven reacted to this memorable moment. Check out what each had to say below:

More from Tom Izzo at his postgame press conference:

"I'm not going to lie to you I was nervous. I see that look in his eye, and then I hear my players yelling for him to shoot it. I don't even think he checked in yet. That is how much they want him to score a bucket. I look down at him and they laugh at me. With him, there's under a minute left and he will do what he wants to do. He deserves that for all the times I wasn't able to do the things with him.

It was actually a hell of a move. He spins, throws it up there. A.J. picked him up there and threw him to Tyson. I think they thought he was the ball. It was pretty cool. The way the place went crazy for him. All I could think about is, I've got 35 guys down from my old Northern Michigan teams. I often think when I see him out there, I would have given my left and right arm just to run out the tunnel at a place like Michigan State. I never got a chance to do that, but sometimes you get to live your own dreams through somebody else.

On this day, he was so damn excited. It's his fifth year, he graduated in three and will finish his masters in two. I didn't know if it would ever happen because I didn't know if I was going to be able to get him in again. It will just be something that his kids' kids will look at and I bet you there's a lot of people in the stands today will say hey, my son, or my grandson. Hey, my great grandson. If he wanted to go out and stick it out, you better find one that dad's the coach to let him on the team. But, I think they will all have something to shoot for. That's what life's all about. It was great, thank you."

For more coverage of Michigan State Athletics: