Tom Izzo reveals who the most underrated players he’s ever coached are

Tom Izzo has coached some great players throughout his Michigan State basketball career. He also has coached some guys that weren't too known nationally but probably deserved a lot more respect than they received.

But one thing is for certain: many guys coached by Izzo have been severly underrated.

And I don't think that's necessarilly anyone's fault, I think that's just what happens when a program is extremely successful year after year.

When the status quo for a program is reaching Final Fours and dominating the Big Ten, it's nearly impossible to properly rate a player let alone overrate them. A lot of fans nationally just agree that Michigan State is great and move right along, failing to recognize just how great some of its players really are.

Izzo recently discussed on the Pardon My Take podcast who he thinks his most underrated players he coached are, and his answer might be surprise.

He shared that many of his greatest players of all time he believes are the ones that are most underrated. Guys like Cassius Winston, Mateen Cleaves, Draymond Green, and Denzel Valentine. This answer really surprised me because they truly are some of the best players from Izzo's tenure and they all either have their jersey retired at the Breslin Center or will in the future.

But Izzo's reasoning for selecting these guys does make a lot of sense. Izzo shared, "Great players play great but elite players make other players play great."

And that's what he believes went unnoticed with these players during their careers. Not only were they great players themseleves, but they made everyone else around them much better players. That is not an easy thing to do, but that is something each player did extremely well during their careers and something they didn't get enough credit for.

The last thing Izzo was asked about on this topic is if he thinks he's underrated or overrated himself. The answer Izzo gave likely will shock no one. Izzo said "I think you're always overrated because whether we (coaches) like it or not, players play the game. You gotta have good players and you gotta have a good culture." Izzo continued, "If I was underrated at something, people don't look at the culture you develop, and that takes years."

I would have to agree with the Pardon My Take hosts as they feel Izzo overall is currently underrated. Izzo will never admit it himself, but this is likely thee truth today. Michigan State hasn't won anything since Cassius Winston's senior season in 2020, so people are beginning to question if Izzo still has it in him as a coach. I know I have those lingering thoughts as well, but I would bet he will prove the naysayers wrong and get MSU back on top of the college basketball landscape again soon.