Tom Izzo is disgusted by the sport he loves. The Hall of Fame head coach has been like an open book every time he’s been asked about the state of college basketball. He doesn’t hold back, he’s honest, and he can talk ad nauseam about what changes he’d like to see.
For now, the focus is on eligibility.
Izzo has been outspoken about the transfer portal, and he’s touched on NIL and how it needs more regulation because college basketball is becoming the wild, wild west.
Right now, though, eligibility rulings are becoming the main talking point, and Izzo has found himself as disgusted with the NCAA as ever after recent events.
Just this year, Louisville added a G-Leaguer which riled Izzo up, and then Baylor was able to bring in G-Leaguer James Nnaji in the middle of the season, and now just this week, Alabama was able to bring three-year G-League vet Charles Bediako back for the remainder of the season after a court ruling granted him temporary eligibility.
Izzo touched on this topic during his weekly radio show.
Tom Izzo isn’t going to follow the recent trend
If you know anything about Izzo, it’s that he does things his own way, and he’s not a follower. Just because something has become the new trend doesn’t mean he’s going to follow it. In fact, he often does the exact opposite because he’s not the kind of coach who likes to conform without asking questions and challenging first.
He proved that during his weekly radio show on Thursday, answering a question about the Bediako eligibility ruling and giving his thoughts on what he plans to do.
Tom Izzo tonight after he was asked about the state of college basketball and the Charles Bediako stuff: “It’s the wild wild west so be prepared for anything. I’m gonna keep my guys, I’m gonna keep being different. I’m going to the transfer portal for sure in the Spring and I’m…
— Andrew Cumbow (@ACumbow) January 23, 2026
Honestly, this has to be exactly what everyone expected Izzo to say. He has always been loyal to his players, and he didn’t even want to touch the transfer portal when it first became all the rage. He started to use it more when he saw some of his players leaving that way, and he’s landed some talented players via transfer.
Still, he’s not a fan. He would much rather keep all of his guys and work with what he’s got than just pluck some already-developed player from the portal.
And regarding the G-League trend, Michigan State’s head coach said that he’s going to keep doing what he’s doing and being different. At the end of each season, he’s going to try and keep all of his guys. He’s going to do all of that and not apologize to anyone for it.
Izzo has been right about everything so far, so I expect that to continue.