What Tom Izzo had to say about Michigan State's NCAA Tournament draw, match-up with Bryant

[ASFN Admin]

It's official. Michigan State basketball is back in the NCAA Tournament, as has become customary under Tom Izzo, and the Spartans will face America East Conference champion Bryant in the first round of the tournament.

On Selection Sunday, Tom Izzo spoke to the media shortly after the Spartans' draw was revealed. You can see a breakdown of what he had to say, along with the full video, below.

Notes:​

• Tom Izzo noted that it was 'ironic' that the Spartans would face Bryant, since Bryant is coached by Phil Martelli Jr., the son of Phil Martelli, a friend of Izzo's.
• Izzo said he just spoke to Phil Martelli Jr. yesterday to congratulate him on winning the America East conference and earning a trip to the NCAA Tournament.
• He said he doesn't know a ton about Bryant right now outside of thinking that their pace of play is 'very good'.
• Izzo noted that he has been part of a 2 and 15 loss before, so he 'doesn't feel comfortable with anything', but he 'doesn't feel afraid of anything.'
• Izzo noted that he felt that the Big Ten deserved to have more than eight teams in the tournament.
• Izzo made a point to emphasize that his 2019-20 team, he thinks, could have made a big run in the NCAA Tournament if it wasn't canceled due to COVID.

Full Video:​

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This article originally appeared on Spartans Wire: Tom Izzo reacts to Michigan State's NCAA Tournament draw

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