EAST LANSING – After picking up a rare win at Madison Square Garden on Saturday afternoon, Tom Izzo had plans for the evening.
The Michigan State coach intended to get back on campus and attend the hockey game before preparing for the team’s next matchup. Initially expecting to be back in East Lansing about 6:30 p.m., the Spartans didn’t return until about 3:30 a.m. due to flight delays.
“As crazy as it sounds,” Izzo said on Monday, “after the game and yesterday, I learned as much about my team as I did in five games of competition.”
After topping Rutgers 81-74 on Saturday for their 12th straight win to snap Izzo’s five-game skid at MSG, the No. 7 Spartans (17-2, 8-0 Big Ten) left New York for their charter flight out of Newark. Then maintenance delays piled up both on the tarmac and at a local hotel before the wheels finally went up about 1:20 a.m.
“I didn’t have one guy complaining. … The coach was complaining, I promise you that,” Izzo said. “There were people that got a few ear loads of what I thought of the whole deal because I didn’t think it was handled right, people were lying to us about things.”
It was the team’s second straight road trip with travel problems, following delays getting in and out of Chicago earlier this month for a game at Northwestern. Senior guard Jaden Akins spent the downtime in Newark watching film and movies and getting a little sleep. The Spartans returned to the court on Sunday with an altered schedule amid a quick turnaround before hosting Minnesota (11-9, 3-6), which has won three straight, on Tuesday (8 p.m., Peacock) at the Breslin Center.
“The meetings were great, the practice we cut it short but we got at it a little bit and they were great,” Izzo said. “I think that was a sign of maturity. The head coach was immature, the players were very mature.”
Even with some private flight problems, a lot of people would gladly take Michigan State’s team travel accommodations. There will be a lot bigger challenges ahead for the Spartans, who are wildly exceeding preseason expectations. So far.
“I think we’re building a base that’s good enough to handle a lot of things,” Izzo said. “We’ll see if that’s true.”
In a recent game against Purdue, Michigan State basketball coach Tom Izzo was seen visibly frustrated with his team’s inability to handle the ball and commit costly turnovers. As he stomped up and down the sidelines and yelled at his players, it was clear that Izzo’s anger stemmed from the team’s lack of discipline and execution on the court.
While some may view Izzo’s outburst as a negative display of emotions, it actually provides a valuable lesson about the high standards he holds for his players and the program as a whole. Izzo’s passion and intensity are a reflection of his commitment to excellence and his desire to push his players to be their best.
The travel trouble that plagued the Spartans in that game serves as a reminder that attention to detail and focus are crucial in order to succeed at the highest level of competition. Izzo’s reaction serves as a wake-up call for his team to tighten up their game and not let mistakes go unchecked.
In the end, Izzo’s travel trouble anger may have been a tough pill to swallow in the moment, but it ultimately serves as a valuable lesson for the Spartans to learn from and improve upon as they continue their season. It’s clear that Izzo’s passion for the game and commitment to excellence will continue to drive his team towards success.
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