A lot seems to be on the mind of Michigan State basketball coach Tom Izzo. The fact that he's now 70 years old doesn't seem to be at the top of the list. He's shown his frustrations with where the sport that he still loves coaching is, but he also recently spoke about reaching further than just the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament.
The Spartans had a massive 2024-25 season. They took home the Big Ten title outright by three games. Plus, they reached the Elite Eight for the first time since 2019.
Izzo has his eyes on a much larger goal.
He famously said after the Spartans' second-round loss to North Carolina in 2024 that he was going to get further in the NCAA tournament or die trying. He answered his challenge last season. But he's got his eye on more than just the Elite Eight.
CBS Sports insider Jon Rothstein referenced Izzo's now-famous quote when he spoke with the Hall of Famer in a recent interview. He asked Izzo if he's hungrier than ever to get even further.
"I really am, Jon. I really am. And I'm lucky I backed my word there because we did go further, but I think we're just trying to do it a little different, that's all. And I feel good about that," Izzo said. "I think in sports, especially team sports, camaraderie, culture, all those things matter, and we're trying to thrive off that, which is what I've done since the day I started here."
So with that in mind, can the Spartans get back to the Final Four? They haven't been to that level since 2019. You have to go even further back to recall their last national title game appearance. It was in 2009 in Detroit.
I trust Izzo to find a way to get his team where he needs it to be, but the sport itself might not let it happen.