Ringostar57
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Every final 4 appearance thanks to staying close and then getting the calls in the final 10 minutes. Final 4 games no help from refs and they lose.
What is Tom Izzo's secret?
- Thread starter Eric15
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STEVEHOLT
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I think its these two main things:
-scheduling really difficult teams that play like teams are going to play you in the tourney. It doesnt matter if you win or lose these games...just playing them creates mega teaching points and gives the kids invaluable experience to draw from in NCAA play
-toughness of the kids he recruits. They always seem to have a few really physically and mentally tough guys that struggle at times during the year, but put it together at some point. I remember when they had a few kids from flint. you dont come out of flint without battle scars.
-scheduling really difficult teams that play like teams are going to play you in the tourney. It doesnt matter if you win or lose these games...just playing them creates mega teaching points and gives the kids invaluable experience to draw from in NCAA play
-toughness of the kids he recruits. They always seem to have a few really physically and mentally tough guys that struggle at times during the year, but put it together at some point. I remember when they had a few kids from flint. you dont come out of flint without battle scars.
BuffOrange
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I'm in the SWC group. November SOS is cute and its probably the 211th biggest reason they're great this month.
Exactly 4 months is the key. No more, no less? Remind me to look at September SOS when I'm picking NFL playoffs games next year.
Exactly 4 months is the key. No more, no less? Remind me to look at September SOS when I'm picking NFL playoffs games next year.
I think people here are relying way too much on some stats to say we had a better defense than MSU or anyone else
You really have to watch the games
If you think we played better defense than MSU this year, I don't know what to tell you.
zeekay
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I believe the stat is that he only had 2 NBA lottery picks on his team in the last decade TOTAL. That's insane considering the amount of FFs. For comparison, THIS year's Kentucky has 7 projected NBA draft picks, with about 3 in the lottery.
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Fireball Jr.
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What's his secret, other than he's a great coach?
Eric15
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Can you provide some specific examples from his prior Final Four seasons where controversial calls went MSU's way that shouldn't have?
DoctorBombay
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Izzo, like Pitino, is flexible in his coaching philosophy, IMO.
I love our HOF'er & acknowledge that he's one of the best ever. But I don't always agree with his "short bench" and the sometimes passive defensive approach he employs. No one plays zone like the CUSE- but by definition, the zone still allows a team to attack it, instead of the other way around. We've tended to fizzle in March and peak in January, because teams are still developing early in the year, but by the time we get to the postseason, teams have all gotten better and can therefore attack our zone more efficiently as well.
I hope when Hop takes over that we change things up a little more...like playing more guys and not being wedded to one defensive philosophy.
JMHO
I love our HOF'er & acknowledge that he's one of the best ever. But I don't always agree with his "short bench" and the sometimes passive defensive approach he employs. No one plays zone like the CUSE- but by definition, the zone still allows a team to attack it, instead of the other way around. We've tended to fizzle in March and peak in January, because teams are still developing early in the year, but by the time we get to the postseason, teams have all gotten better and can therefore attack our zone more efficiently as well.
I hope when Hop takes over that we change things up a little more...like playing more guys and not being wedded to one defensive philosophy.
JMHO
anomander
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I think Izzo is so good when it matters is because that's how he prepares his team throughout the season. He is fine with sacrificing some losses in November, and December if it means them succeeding in March. MSU almost always plays one of the most competitive schedules in the country. Doesn't matter who it is, they play them. Izzo also isn't afraid to develop a bench. His teams almost always go 8-9 guys deep. It keeps kids fresh, and it develops bench guys so when they're needed when it counts due to foul problems, or anything else, they are ready to step up.
I think those 2 strategies combined with how Izzo manages a game are a winning formula. MSU runs more set plays then basically everyone in the country. Izzo really micromanages the game, and come March when every possession is huge, it could be an advantage compared to coaches who let their teams play more freely.
Whatever it is I don't think it's a coincidence that Izzo, and Pitino are always making noise in March. Those 2 more then any other coaches seem to coach their teams so they are maxing out potential in March, not January.
I think those 2 strategies combined with how Izzo manages a game are a winning formula. MSU runs more set plays then basically everyone in the country. Izzo really micromanages the game, and come March when every possession is huge, it could be an advantage compared to coaches who let their teams play more freely.
Whatever it is I don't think it's a coincidence that Izzo, and Pitino are always making noise in March. Those 2 more then any other coaches seem to coach their teams so they are maxing out potential in March, not January.
Bayside44
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He got a couple of gifts in the UVa game this season, a TO when no one had possession and a couple of others during that sequence.
Today's game an MSU kid gets pinned to the glass and gets 2 foul shots.
(I think college officiating is about at WWE levels so this has nothing to do with Izzo as much as bad calls in general)
RandygoCuse
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He's Snoop Dog's favorite coach
zeekay
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It's a factor of college officiating being very bad and MSU teams being very physical. So they tend to get away with a lot more since refs still can't adjust to a physical team playing a non-physical team. Same complaint we had for years against someone like Pitt. Not really's Izzo's fault, it's just the style that his team plays results in a lot of What calls in his favor.
SWC75
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I think he's a great coach who not only knows how to get the most out of his players but gets them to peak at the right time.
I also think that the early difficult schedule gives his team more losses than they normally would have causing people to think his post season accomplishments are even greater than than they are and are somehow a product of those early losses.
H
HOFCeluck
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Well at least we have 4-1.
Cheriehoop
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I think part of his success is due to players staying 4 years. I read where only 5 players have left early from MSU for the NBA with Zach Randolph being the only one and done player there. He's an excellent coach who gets good players who defer to the team concept, are willing to sit & learn, and commit to staying 4 years there. Playing a difficult OOC schedule and suffering some losses , he gets a lower seed but he's pretty well a shoo in year in and year out to have a very good Big 10 conference record.
What amazes me is realizing that in the 4 years that Travis Trice has been at Michigan State we at SU have had a different point guard every year. 2011-2012 Scoop, 2012-2013 Michael Carter Williams 2013-2014 Tyler Ennis and 2014-2015 Kaleb Joseph. Just a crazy random thought that flitted through my empty head.
What amazes me is realizing that in the 4 years that Travis Trice has been at Michigan State we at SU have had a different point guard every year. 2011-2012 Scoop, 2012-2013 Michael Carter Williams 2013-2014 Tyler Ennis and 2014-2015 Kaleb Joseph. Just a crazy random thought that flitted through my empty head.
RandygoCuse
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Until last year every player who played at least four years for him made a final four. That's quite an accomplishment regardless of a regular season record.
Knicks411
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Well we gave up fewer points per possession, adjusted for opponent, than Michigan State did.
Not surprisingly, they have performed better in the tournament, but they gave up over a point per possession in their last 7 big ten games.
Ringostar57
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What is Tom Izzo's secret.? hmmmmm aaaaah ohhh hmmmmmm .....deodorant !!!...hides b.o. b.s. imperfections and NCAA and traveling violations. If it doesn't smell then its easy to sell.
The biggest thing that hasn't been said here...he is a coach who strategizes around his current players to maximize their particular skill-sets...
You can be a #8 guy on his team and play quite a bit and contribute because you do what you're told to do and you do it well. If you're a limited ball-handler but can set screens and crash the boards, bang you do that and you're "successful" and over time the team is successful.
It's good old-fashioned coaching that seeks to limit negative contributions and enhance positive ones. The teams he's had generally seem to buy into it.
The biggest difference with Syracuse's offensive strategy, in my opinion, is the reliance on a motion system which is not dependent on a star player to create the offense for the team. First, they get the ball into the post, and even if that's not a great player, it causes the defense to react and then you can see the three off-ball Spartans get in motion, so when the defense turns their head back around, it's all different (it also helps if those players can make any jump-shots that are created).
But that's the difference, Izzo gets defenses to react to guys they in theory don't care about, and that opens things up for his scorers.
You can be a #8 guy on his team and play quite a bit and contribute because you do what you're told to do and you do it well. If you're a limited ball-handler but can set screens and crash the boards, bang you do that and you're "successful" and over time the team is successful.
It's good old-fashioned coaching that seeks to limit negative contributions and enhance positive ones. The teams he's had generally seem to buy into it.
The biggest difference with Syracuse's offensive strategy, in my opinion, is the reliance on a motion system which is not dependent on a star player to create the offense for the team. First, they get the ball into the post, and even if that's not a great player, it causes the defense to react and then you can see the three off-ball Spartans get in motion, so when the defense turns their head back around, it's all different (it also helps if those players can make any jump-shots that are created).
But that's the difference, Izzo gets defenses to react to guys they in theory don't care about, and that opens things up for his scorers.
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