East Lansing – The day Michigan State starts playing a softer non-conference schedule will probably be the day Tom Izzo is no longer coaching.
From the moment Izzo took over the program 22 years ago, he’s followed one simple mantra.
“To be the best you have to play the best,” Izzo said on Monday.
He’s used it in different ways. “We’ll play anyone, anytime, anyplace,” has been a phrase Izzo has uttered many times over the years as well.
But the idea is the same. In the world of college basketball, teams need to be playing their best at the end of the season.