Izzo Wants To Follow 2014 UConn Blueprint: Seven-Seed To National Champion
By Ashley Dunkak
@AshleyDunkak
EAST LANSING - A trio of one-seeds comprise three-quarters of the Final Four. As a seven-seed, Michigan State is the outlier. Head coach Tom Izzo, however, does not consider his team an underdog.
"I understand where we are," Izzo said Tuesday during a press conference at Spartan Stadium. "There's no question that Duke is the favored team, and there's no question that Kentucky's probably the favored team, and if we played Wisconsin, they'd probably be the favored team, so I guess if you looked at it that way we're underdogged all weekend, but I don't feel that way because I think I know where this program's at.
"Every time we've been underdogged, we've answered the bell lately," Izzo added.
Indeed, despite a difficult regular season, during which injuries plagued the team, the Spartans entered the postseason on an upswing. They continued their momentum by taking Wisconsin to overtime in the Big Ten tournament championship game. In the NCAA tournament, the Spartans have upset two-seed Virginia and three-seed Oklahoma.
Michigan State faces Duke on Saturday. If the Spartans win, they will play either Wisconsin or Kentucky in the national championship game Monday.
Izzo pointed to what UConn did as a seven-seed in 2014 as a precedent for what the Spartans hope to accomplish.
"My favorite guy in America right now is Kevin Ollie," Izzo said, referring to UConn's head coach. "I love Kevin Ollie. I hated him last year at this time, but I love him now. I think he's kind of showing us the way. He took a team that struggled at the end of the year … and he got on a roll and he had a guard that really took control, and Kevin did such a great job, not only beat us but then went on to win a national championship as a seven-seed.
"I think history can repeat itself," Izzo added. "You never know."
Many have wondered whether Michigan State will be able to match up against Duke, a school with recruiting power second to none. Izzo made clear he believes the Spartans have sufficient talent - and something else, too.
"I've downplayed us a little bit because I'm not sure where we were," Izzo said. "We were a little bit inconsistent, but [Branden] Dawson, [Travis] Trice and [Denzel] Valentine, they can play on a lot of teams around the country, so don't feel sorry for us. We've got some good players, and they're starting to play better, and our role players are starting to play a little better.
"Maybe not quite as talented," Izzo added, "but big hearts, and they've proved their worth by what they've accomplished in these last 14, 15 games when our backs were a little bit against the wall, and so they know how to deal with pressure."
Izzo allowed that the Spartans might have deserved a higher seed, though not much higher. He does not believe it matters much. Regardless of the seed, the coach reiterated that the underdog label should not be applied to Michigan State.
"When you get here, I'm not going to use the underdog role," Izzo said. "That would be disrespecting the program we built. I'm going to say that right now. We're not the nation's pick, and I understand that, too, but I don't think we've been most of this tournament. We're still standing."
