Tom Izzo

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krambman

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Mar 28, 2010 4:46 PM
Is unquestionably the greatest coach in the game today.
Mar 28, 2010 4:46pm
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hoops23

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Mar 28, 2010 4:47 PM
I may agree.
Mar 28, 2010 4:47pm
Laley23's avatar

Laley23

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Mar 28, 2010 4:47 PM
He is pretty good, lol.
Mar 28, 2010 4:47pm
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sleeper

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Mar 28, 2010 4:49 PM
I agree.
Mar 28, 2010 4:49pm
C

centralbucksfan

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Mar 28, 2010 4:50 PM
The whole best coach thing is almost impossible to figure out. A lot of very good coaches out there. Sometimes its coaching, sometimes its luck, its a lot of things going the right way at the right time.
But Izzo is certainly one of the best without question.
Mar 28, 2010 4:50pm
krambman's avatar

krambman

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Mar 28, 2010 4:51 PM
They could be a 16 seed next year and as long as Izzo is still the coach I'll have then in the Final Four.
Mar 28, 2010 4:51pm
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Non

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Mar 28, 2010 4:56 PM
I think he's the best in the sense that if you were a recruit and your No. 1 criteria was coaching he'd be No. 1.

Then maybe if you said tradition is most important, MSU would be high, but not as high as Kentucky or North Carolina.
Mar 28, 2010 4:56pm
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UA5straightin2008

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Mar 28, 2010 4:58 PM
been in the final four 6 out of the past 12 years...ridiculous
Mar 28, 2010 4:58pm
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Cleveland Buck

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Mar 28, 2010 5:02 PM
The guy is ridiculous. I wish he was coaching the Buckeyes that's for sure.
Mar 28, 2010 5:02pm
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Laley23

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Mar 28, 2010 5:04 PM
15 years:

--13 NCAA tourneys
--9 Sweet 16
--7 Elite 8
--6 Final 4
--1 National Championship

The Titles are eluding him a bit, but the other numbers are insane. 7 Elite 8 appearances in 15 years!!!! 5 Final Fours this decade. Its even more impressive when you eliminate his first 2 seasons at MSU which he wasnt established yet.
Mar 28, 2010 5:04pm
Non's avatar

Non

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Mar 28, 2010 5:18 PM
I think what's interesting, though, about college basketball is that a lot of the modern great coaches don't have a lot of national titles.

Mike Krzyzewski 3.
Bob Knight 3.
Dean Smith 2.
Roy Williams 2.
Jim Calhoun 2.
Rick Pitino 1.
Jim Boeheim 1.

Nobody will ever have another run like Wooden. The playing field is too level now. Izzo probably only needs one more to cement his place among the best of the modern era.

It's also a big deal to reach the final four numerous times and be in position in years when it doesn't seem like a possibility. I think that's what Izzo brings. He's going to have teams that are going to be legit contenders but then take solid teams farther than they might go at another school with a different coach.
Mar 28, 2010 5:18pm
krambman's avatar

krambman

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Mar 28, 2010 5:20 PM
Laley23 wrote: 15 years:

--13 NCAA tourneys
--9 Sweet 16
--7 Elite 8
--6 Final 4
--1 National Championship

The Titles are eluding him a bit, but the other numbers are insane. 7 Elite 8 appearances in 15 years!!!! 5 Final Fours this decade. Its even more impressive when you eliminate his first 2 seasons at MSU which he wasn't established yet.
The one thing those stays don't show is that he's made most of those Final Fours as a lower seed. That's what I find so impressive. There are a few active coaches with multiple titles, but MSU has been the most consistent tournament performer over the last decade and a half and most of those years they get there over more talented teams. He gets his team to the Final Four even when they aren't a one seed.
Mar 28, 2010 5:20pm
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jpake1

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Mar 28, 2010 5:27 PM
He's a great coach that has a great system that allows his teams to do well. He doesn't go after the one and done guys, but he gets the pretty good players that'll play 3-4 years which allows him to have great leadership each year. That's the reason he's been to so many Final 4's, but also the reason he only has one title. Cal doe it the opposite way. He gets the one and done studs, usually has one of the most talented teams, but they're young and never do it when its needed most. Sometime like Roy is in the middle. He'll get a big one and done guy here and there, but he'll get the real talented kids that stay for 2-3 years and when the leadership is there, he gets his ring. It's interesting to see how all the great coaches have their own ways of recruiting and building their programs.
Mar 28, 2010 5:27pm
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Laley23

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Mar 28, 2010 5:31 PM
ccrunner609 wrote: K has 3 titles........that equals a better coach
dont confuse longevity with better. K has been there 30 years, Izzo half that. Izzo is better at the moment. K has the better career.
Mar 28, 2010 5:31pm
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Mar 28, 2010 5:35 PM
krambman wrote:
The one thing those stays don't show is that he's made most of those Final Fours as a lower seed. That's what I find so impressive. There are a few active coaches with multiple titles, but MSU has been the most consistent tournament performer over the last decade and a half and most of those years they get there over more talented teams. He gets his team to the Final Four even when they aren't a one seed.
1, 1, 1, 5, 2, 5

That is the seeding of his FF teams. He has only been an underdog twice, but as a 5 seed that is impressive. It also says a lot that he got there 3 years in a row as a #1 seed with the pressure on him.
Mar 28, 2010 5:35pm
Non's avatar

Non

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Mar 28, 2010 5:42 PM
K is working on national title #4.

That's significant because only John Wooden (10) and Adolph Rupp (4) have won more than three.
Mar 28, 2010 5:42pm
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Mulva

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Mar 28, 2010 5:43 PM
He's obviously a fantastic coach, but I'm not sure about all of the credit he's getting (and will continue to get) for this run.

First of all, they made the title game last season, and brought everyone back. They were a preseason top 5 team. If he gets all this credit for making the final 4 as a 5 seed, shouldn't some of it be negated by the fact that a team this talented dropped to a 5 seed to begin with? Also, sometimes it's just the luck of the draw. Beating a 12, 4, 9, 6 isn't overwhelmingly impressive to me.

On the flip side, doing it for the last 2 games without Lucas is impressive regardless of opponent.

I'd say it's impressive, but not nearly as impressive as some people will try to make it seem.
Mar 28, 2010 5:43pm
Laley23's avatar

Laley23

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Mar 28, 2010 5:47 PM
He certainly got the draw to help him out. But so did Tennessee, Ohio State, Kansas State, you get the point. At some point the teams you are playing are playing because they are the better team at the moment.

While he got lucky in that draw, he still had to coach his ass off 4 games in a row and he did that. He has out coached all 4 of his opponents in the last 8 minutes of the games.
Mar 28, 2010 5:47pm
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UA5straightin2008

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Mar 28, 2010 5:50 PM
Laley23 wrote: 15 years:

--13 NCAA tourneys
--9 Sweet 16
--7 Elite 8
--6 Final 4
--1 National Championship

The Titles are eluding him a bit, but the other numbers are insane. 7 Elite 8 appearances in 15 years!!!! 5 Final Fours this decade. Its even more impressive when you eliminate his first 2 seasons at MSU which he wasnt established yet.
actually only 1 final four this decade :D, its 2010 son :P
Mar 28, 2010 5:50pm
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thedynasty1998

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Mar 28, 2010 5:52 PM
Hard to disagree with that statement. I always thought he was the best game coach in the country, but for whatever reasons hasn't been able to get the big time recruits.

I remember there being a discussion on here last year whether Michigan State was an "elite" program and I don't think there is any question about it at this point. I would actually love to see what Izzo could do with a stud player, but then again, maybe that's why he's been so successful because he never relies on just one guy who can make or break a program.
Mar 28, 2010 5:52pm
Laley23's avatar

Laley23

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Mar 28, 2010 5:54 PM
UA5straightin2008 wrote:
Laley23 wrote: 15 years:

--13 NCAA tourneys
--9 Sweet 16
--7 Elite 8
--6 Final 4
--1 National Championship

The Titles are eluding him a bit, but the other numbers are insane. 7 Elite 8 appearances in 15 years!!!! 5 Final Fours this decade. Its even more impressive when you eliminate his first 2 seasons at MSU which he wasnt established yet.
actually only 1 final four this decade :D, its 2010 son :P
well, that all depends on how you look at it. I personally dont think its a new decade yet because we didnt start with a year 0. But then I would have to take away the 1999/2000 FF. So he has 4 this decade regardless. :D:D
Mar 28, 2010 5:54pm
UA5straightin2008's avatar

UA5straightin2008

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Mar 28, 2010 5:59 PM
Laley23 wrote:
UA5straightin2008 wrote:
Laley23 wrote: 15 years:

--13 NCAA tourneys
--9 Sweet 16
--7 Elite 8
--6 Final 4
--1 National Championship

The Titles are eluding him a bit, but the other numbers are insane. 7 Elite 8 appearances in 15 years!!!! 5 Final Fours this decade. Its even more impressive when you eliminate his first 2 seasons at MSU which he wasnt established yet.
actually only 1 final four this decade :D, its 2010 son :P
well, that all depends on how you look at it. I personally dont think its a new decade yet because we didnt start with a year 0. But then I would have to take away the 1999/2000 FF. So he has 4 this decade regardless. :D:D
yeah so either way you were wrong saying he had 5 this decade....dumbass :D:D:D:D:D
Mar 28, 2010 5:59pm
Laley23's avatar

Laley23

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Mar 28, 2010 5:59 PM
thedynasty1998 wrote: Hard to disagree with that statement. I always thought he was the best game coach in the country, but for whatever reasons hasn't been able to get the big time recruits.

I remember there being a discussion on here last year whether Michigan State was an "elite" program and I don't think there is any question about it at this point. I would actually love to see what Izzo could do with a stud player, but then again, maybe that's why he's been so successful because he never relies on just one guy who can make or break a program.
I think the elite recruits comment is kind of bogus. He got plenty of elite guys, 5*s Zach Randolph, Jason Richardson, and they went pro as well as 5*s Paul Davis, Raymar Morgan, and Delvon Roe. He also knows WHO he wants. When was the last time MSU didnt have a shit ton of athletic wings (who all happen to be in the top 30-75 range and 4*s).

Tolbert
Peterson
Anderson
Summers
Allen
Ager
Brown
Mar 28, 2010 5:59pm
Laley23's avatar

Laley23

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Mar 28, 2010 6:00 PM
UA5straightin2008 wrote:

yeah so either way you were wrong saying he had 5 this decade....dumbass :D:D:D:D:D
Fuck off! Plus, it isnt a good comeback when I already corrected myself:D
Mar 28, 2010 6:00pm
C

centralbucksfan

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Mar 28, 2010 6:03 PM
Laley23 wrote:
thedynasty1998 wrote: Hard to disagree with that statement. I always thought he was the best game coach in the country, but for whatever reasons hasn't been able to get the big time recruits.

I remember there being a discussion on here last year whether Michigan State was an "elite" program and I don't think there is any question about it at this point. I would actually love to see what Izzo could do with a stud player, but then again, maybe that's why he's been so successful because he never relies on just one guy who can make or break a program.
I think the elite recruits comment is kind of bogus. He got plenty of elite guys, 5*s Zach Randolph, Jason Richardson, and they went pro as well as 5*s Paul Davis, Raymar Morgan, and Delvon Roe. He also knows WHO he wants. When was the last time MSU didnt have a shit ton of athletic wings (who all happen to be in the top 30-75 range and 4*s).

Tolbert
Peterson
Anderson
Summers
Allen
Ager
Brown
Thanks for commenting on that. Izzo is a great coach, but he also gets GREAT players as well. People always comment that he wins with less talent. Thats BS. As you pointed out above, Izzo has talent. Anyone who thinks different just doesn't know what they are talking about. Roe for instance, turned down UNC for MSU. Izzo has stud players at ever position except the center spot.
Mar 28, 2010 6:03pm