Michigan State Basketball: 5 reasons Spartans will make 2019 Final Four

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CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – MARCH 17: Head coach Tom Izzo of the Michigan State Spartans addresses the crowd after beating the Michigan Wolverines 65-60 in the championship game of the Big Ten Basketball Tournament at the United Center on March 17, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) /

1. Tom Izzo is still Tom Izzo

There’s a reason Tom Izzo was nicknamed “Mr. March” for a couple of decades. The Hall of Fame head coach has made seven Final Fours in his time at Michigan State along with 22 straight NCAA Tournament appearances. He thrives in these high-pressure situations and gets his players to buy in year after year.

Unfortunately, he’s fallen short of expectations for three straight seasons. In 2015-16, his dynamic team was upset by No. 15 Middle Tennessee in the first round. In 2016-17, a freshman-laden squad was downed in the second round by a loaded Kansas team after beating Miami handily in round one. And last season, how could we forget? Syracuse ended the Spartans’ dreams in shocking fashion.

Three years without a Sweet 16 and people have already begun to question his ability to coach in the NCAA Tournament.

After getting swept last season by Michigan, people said John Beilein owned him and was clearly the better coach and he proved that notion wrong by winning three matchups against the top-10 foe this year. He’s eager to prove the naysayers wrong yet again.

Next. 5 takeaways from Big Ten Tournament title win. dark

Izzo is in the midst of his best coaching season yet and he’s not going to stop with an early exit. As long as he’s the coach, this program is capable of a Final Four each year.

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