The end of our series on the 13 non-Wisconsin Big Ten basketball programs at the start of the 2020s features the Michigan State Spartans. If one is to ask, “What is the biggest question facing the Spartans in the 2020s?”, it’s not about the success. That is assumed. It’s not about the consistency. That box has been checked. It’s not about the ability to play well in March. Michigan State has proved it can, in contrast to Purdue and Maryland, among others in the conference.
The main question is about the man responsible for Michigan State being so terrifically successful: “Will Tom Izzo coach through the entirety of the coming decade?” That’s the whole ballgame at Michigan State, is it not?
Yes, Tom Izzo was a Jud Heathcote assistant who was promoted from within two decades ago. Michigan State, as it turns out, didn’t need a national search or a splash hire to maintain and then improve upon Jud’s prosperous tenure in East Lansing. Izzo was not only sufficient, he was transcendent. He took what was a very good program and made it a monster.
The most amazing fact about Michigan State basketball under Tom Izzo is that only ONE senior class — 2014 — has failed to make a Final Four under his coaching. With Final Fours in 1999, 2000, 2001, 2005, 2009, 2010, 2015, and 2019, you can see that the only gap of more than four years was 2010 to 2015. The 2014 class made the Elite Eight. That’s ridiculous.
The right question for the 2020s is not if Izzo can sustain. That’s what he does. The right question for the coming decade is not if Izzo can stay relevant or adaptable. That’s what he is. The only question is if Izzo will tire of the chase, of the continued pursuit of greatness and a second national championship. Tom Izzo’s hunger is a central storyline in the 2020s Big Ten. Only if Izzo steps down before 2030 will his successor become a huge question. We’ll see if we even get to that point before the decade ends.