Tom Izzo shares what he looks for in Michigan State basketball recruits

It's not very often that college basketball coaches reveal what they look for in their recruits. Most of them treat this information like inside traders do, keeping their cards as close to their chest as possible to not give away any of their secrets.

But that didn't stop Tom Izzo from sharing what he looks for in his recruits with Michigan State basketball.

Now a few things go without saying and they apply to every college basketball coach in the country. They want to get as talented of a player as possible that fits the style and scheme of basketball that their team runs. But what do they look for beyond that? What intangibles does Izzo look for in his recruits he prioritizes?

""I look for a player who's tougher. I look for a player who seems passionate about the game. I think all of us are looking for guys that we know what they need to improve, so if you have toughness and you have some passion you'll probably improve.""

- Tom Izzo

Toughness and passion

According to Izzo, he looks for two intangibles that the player has when deciding who to recruit. Those things are toughness and passion. Does that answer surprise anyone? Izzo has built his career at Michigan State at having the toughest teams and having guys that want to win more than their opponents. So these being the top two traits he looks for is no surprise.

Then the other thing Izzo looks for, and this has more to do with himself and his coaching staff, is them knowing what this player needs to improve on. Every single player in the country has something they need to improve on out of high school, nobody is the perfect player. So Izzo needs to feel 100 percent confident with what that player needs to improve on before he will prioritize them in recruiting.

But the way Izzo ended his quote above is the best of all. It's a nice reminder at how far toughness and passion can get you in college basketball. There's the old saying that hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard, and it sounds like Izzo embodies that. So he knows that if his players are tough and passionate then everything else will likely fall into place for them throughout their career.

And we have seen many careers fall into place at Michigan State because that player was both tough and passionate.