These aren’t exactly the games Tom Izzo loves to play.
He’s done it plenty over the years, but any time the Hall of Fame coach squares off against one of his former assistants, it’s always a mixed bag of feelings for the Michigan State boss.
He’ll have to wrestle with those emotions once more Wednesday when Michigan State takes on Loyola Chicago in the opening game of the Battle 4 Atlantis in the Bahamas. The Ramblers are led by first-year coach Drew Valentine, a former graduate assistant with the Spartans and the brother of former Michigan State standout Denzel Valentine.