Optimism reigns on Michigan State’s campus in East Lansing. After two years of absence, the Spartans will soon return to the pre-season Top 25, this annual ranking published by the Associated Press at the end of October, a few days before the start of the season.
“ Hallelujah! “, then exclaimed the legendary Spartans coach at a press conference. “ For 20 years, this program was among the top ten in the country. This was not the case in the last two years. This year we got back in the saddle, now we have to stay in the saddle. »
With a squad largely unchanged compared to last season since four starters are back (Tyson Walker, but also AJ Hoggard, Jaden Akins and Mady Sissoko), the program coached by Tom Izzo has indeed established itself as one of the candidates (early ) credible for the title in 2024 and should then inherit a place in the Top 5 of the pre-season rankings, undoubtedly alongside other big favorites such as Kansas, Duke, Purdue and Houston. A deserved reward for Michigan State, inconsistent over the last two seasons but still solid despite everything, like this “run” until the third round of “March Madness” last spring.
Tom Izzo, the antithesis of “one-and-done”
“ What I like about the ranking that will be ours in a few weeks is that we will have deserved it. We developed our players, we gained experience », Adds a satisfied Tom Izzo. “ The ranking will not necessarily come down to our promotion of ‘freshmen’, it will rather be the reward for overall work. I think that in this way we will have deserved this ranking, it will not have been offered to us on a platter. »
Faithful to his method, the legendary Spartans coach has indeed patiently built a coherent squad. A clever mix between experience and youth, since four starters in the fourth or fifth year will be there to supervise four future “freshmen”, who embodies his long-standing principles in East Lansing: developing his players, making them executives alongside veterans, and restart. “ No one recruits high school students anymore [pour en faire des ‘one-and-done’]. I’m still interested in recruiting them, as long as I have veterans to surround them “, for example, he declared earlier this summer. “ [La saison prochaine], we will have older guys to take the young guys under their wings. Then these veterans will leave, and the younger ones will then be ready to take on more responsibilities. And in turn they will supervise ‘freshmen’. This is how we continue to move forward. »
At a time when the university landscape is changing, like the emergence of the NIL but also the retirement of several legendary coaches of the championship (Roy Williams, Mike Krzyzewski, Jay Wright and Jim Boeheim), Tom Izzo is therefore resistance. After all, his method still works, and his motivation is unchanged…
“ I prefer to run at the front of the race, not at the back. », he concludes, without hiding his pleasure at seeing his Spartans regain the top places in the pre-season ranking, and therefore the forefront.
