Throughout the 2025-26 season, Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo went to the media with “we’re not as talented as other teams” and “there’s little margin for error with us” lines that weren’t wrong, but the fact that he’s OK with saying that might be the problem.
No head coach should have to repeat the “this isn’t the most talented team” line for years in a row, but Izzo is either trying to downplay his own roster or he believes that the Spartans must play perfect basketball in order to win it all nowadays based on the way he’s managing his rosters.
That’s not OK. Izzo didn’t build the program into a perennial national title contender just to fail to address key positions of need in the transfer portal every year.
Izzo just doesn’t want to play hardball in the transfer portal with college basketball’s biggest NIL spenders, and it’s costing him his best shot at a second national title. The Hall of Famer is about to have his best roster in probably a decade and it’s going to be missing one key piece: a starting-caliber center with experience.
And after Anton Bonke’s visit took place with very little reporting and no commitment and Moustapha Thiam’s new scheduled visit with Michigan, Spartan fans are starting to face a harsh reality.
Tom Izzo isn’t quite living up to his word
Two years ago, Izzo spoke after a demoralizing NCAA Tournament loss to North Carolina in the second round and made a vow to get back to deep runs in March or “die trying”. I don’t necessarily believe that what he’s doing can be filed under “die trying”.
Izzo isn’t doing what’s necessary to win a second national title. He’s not willing to spend to win. Unfortunately, that’s what you have to do in order to compete in the NCAA these days. He’s been targeting a handful of centers, but he only scheduled one visit and arguably the most talented big man that he’s been after just scheduled a visit to his biggest rival. Michigan wasn’t even listed in pursuit of Thiam as recently as Friday, but money talks.
Izzo needs to realize that.
The Spartan legend would rather win by building his roster and winning morally by not dropping the bags necessary to land elite transfers than by following the current recipe.
You can’t teach an old dog new tricks, and I’m afraid Izzo will never change his ways at this point. If he doesn’t spend some money, Michigan State is always going to be “not the most talented” team and it will always have “little room for error”.
Being close but not close enough will forever be infuriating. Having a coach who won’t spend money that he has to change that is even more frustrating.
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