Michigan State Fans Are Frustrated And Tom Izzo Can Relate [VIDEO]

By: Will Burchfield
@burchie_kid

With Michigan State (12-9) mired in a three-game losing streak and drifting toward the NCAA Tournament bubble, the grumbling within the team's fanbase is growing hot. But Tom Izzo, who has coached the Spartans to 19 consecutive tournament appearances, isn't concerned about outside opinions.

In an exchange with Justin Rose after Tuesday night's loss to Purdue, Izzo began by saying, "I don't care about the fan base."

Before taking offense, allow the coach to explain.

"If people want to complain, I don't care. I really don't," Izzo said. "I know what I'm doing. I know what this team is going through. Nobody knows what they're going through because nobody has had to do it. I've been here before and got to the tournament.

"Do I sit here everyday and think, 'Boy, this is going to cost us getting to the tournament.'? I don't do that. I've had to win three games in the Big Ten tournament to get there and do it. Do I like where we are? I don't like where we are. Do I understand where we are? I understand where we are. Am I going to worry about what somebody says that has no clue about what this team has gone through and what this team is doing? I'm not going to worry about that.

"I feel the (fans') disappointment. They've gotta be disappointed. (But) nobody should have been disappointed in the effort those young guys gave tonight. Nobody should be disappointed that I had to throw some guys in there that just aren't ready, not good enough to play in those situations. I've got no problem with that. I thought the fans that were there did a great job. If some are at the local pubs and complaining, that's their freedom of speech. It's a great country."

The full exchange is below.

Izzo isn't dismissing the fans. He isn't saying he doesn't appreciate their support. He's simply insulating his locker room from negativity and clarifying whose opinions matter and whose don't. In regard to an extremely young team - four of the Spartan's top five scorers are freshman - that probably can't be emphasized enough.

The fans aren't the only ones frustrated, by the way. Izzo's emotions boiled over in the second half of Tuesday night's loss, with his team down 7 points and losing control of the game. After one particularly distasteful play, Izzo took out his anger on his clipboard.

It's been a tough year so far for the Spartans, who entered the season ranked No. 12 in the country. But if anyone can turn things around, it's probably a guy who hasn't missed the NCAA Tournament since 1997 -- back when Miles Bridges (16.4 points per game), Nick Ward (13.2) and Cassius Winston (6.5) weren't even born.

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• Tom Izzo