Anyone.
Any time.
Any place.
That's the motto that Michigan State basketball coach Tom Izzo has lived by for the past couple of decades when it comes to tough non-conference scheduling.
The Spartans have faced teams like Gonzaga, Duke, Kentucky, Baylor, Kansas, North Carolina, UCLA, Arizona, and countless others in non-conference play over the years, but Izzo loves the tough scheduling. He feels like it sets his team up for success when the NCAA Tournament rolls around.
That scheduling, however, nearly cost him in the 2023-24 season when the Spartans began ranked in the top five only to lose the opener against James Madison.