DES MOINES, IOWA — When Michigan State coach Tom Izzo took the podium Wednesday to discuss Thursday’s against Bradley in the first round of the NCAA tournament, I asked him what he remembered about the night he brought his team to Carver Arena, when the Spartans rallied for a 66-61 win with a 19-10 finish. His full answer:
“I told Jimmy (Les) how stupid I was. Why would I come there to do that? You know, and I don’t mean that insultingly, I mean I know what kind of team they were. I remember going to a luncheon that day and there were 400 or 500 people at the luncheon.