Tom Izzo will continue to be the key factor in Michigan State’s potential success

When you look at all of the Michigan State University basketball teams that made deep runs in the NCAA tournament under the leadership of Tom Izzo, you think of the great players they all had.

Whether it’s Zach Randolph, Mateen Cleaves, Jason Richardson, Maurice Ager, Kalin Lucas, Dramond Green, Travis Trice, Denzel Valentine, Branden Dawson, Cassius Winston or Xavier Tillman, all of these Final Four teams were led by some of the best players in all of college basketball.

But ultimately, success depends on the coach.

Michigan State University sophomore guard Gehrig Normand said Coach Izzo makes the difference between a good team and a great team.

“I just listen to everything he has to say and learn from him,” Normand said Thursday at the 2024 Moneyball Pro-Am. “I mean, he’s done this before. He’s done it a lot and won a lot. He knows what it takes and I think it’s hard for us as a team to understand that he’s having a hard time. So I think we have a good perspective on everything and we’re just going to get right into it. It’s really fun right now.”