“Izzo’s Insider Scoop: Michigan State Coach Critiques NCAA’s New Norms, Player Departures”

Here’s my take on what’s going on with Michigan State Basketball this offseason… Man, oh man, the transfer portal has really come knocking this year; MSU’s players are turning over at a pace faster than Tom Izzo could yell “Sit down!” You’ve got players exiting the Breslin Center like they’re on the last chopper out of ‘Nam, Tom’s been spotted more in the portal than on the sideline!

From the sounds of it, Coach Izzo is not thrilled about diving so deep into the transfer pool this time around. Yet, he’s in there fishing for talent, hoping to reel in players ready to bleed green and white. Some might say it’s a sign of the times or perhaps a desperate Hail Mary?

Izzo, in his usual colorful style, spoke on Wednesday and laid it out for us without sugar-coating it; from NIL policies to fans acting like they’re part of the roster on social media, the world of college basketball is no longer the two-dribbles-and-up-the-court game it once was. In his words, it’s a dogfight to keep one’s passion alive amidst all this modern interference.

The takeaways? Izzo’s heart is still in coaching—not just for the win, but for the kick in humanity it provides. However, even heroes have tough days; some players leave when you want them to stay, and they’re not just moving for money or opportunity, there’s a tad of that homesickness, or a hunt for the elusive starting spot.

Our Spartan coach is frustrated with the state of college basketball, the players are on the move, and fans should remember their cheers over the jeers.

How long will Izzo keep on fist-fighting the fight, making dreams come true while staying ahead of the curve? LEARN MORE.

Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on X, and like our page onFacebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan state news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Andrew Brewster on Twitter @IAmBrewster.This offseason, Michigan State basketball was affected by the transfer portal in a way that we haven’t really seen before. With multiple players coming and going, Tom Izzo and his staff have been forced to fully dive into the portal this offseason, where they may have been more selective and deliberate in the past.On Wednesday, Tom Izzo met with the media to recap the season, and the conversation was very much focused on the state of the transfer portal, NIL, and the players that chose to leave MSU this spring.

• Izzo pleads with the fans to stop harassing players on social media for their transfer decisions: ‘I’m asking you to ask our fans to quit bashing our players on social media. If they left to go to another school, if they left to go to the NBA, if they left to go to war.’
• Izzo is critical of NIL, not in terms of players making money, but because he felt it was set up poorly by the people in charge and has led to players seeking input from ‘middlemen’.
• Izzo explains why he’s still coaching: “I still have a passion. I still have energy. I still want to make a difference. I still want to help kids live their dream that I got to live mine. All the right reasons. … I’m still fist-fighting the fight.”
• In terms of Gehrig Normand’s decision to transfer, Izzo speculated that Normand was ‘a little homesick when he got here.’ Also noted that Normand was in line for minutes this year until he suffered a preseason injury.
• Izzo on Xavier Booker’s decision: “I failed. I love Book. The day he came in with his family was a difficult day for all of us. We made him stronger. As a student-athlete, he’s done an unbelievable job. I just couldn’t get enough out of him. Deep down, there is one hell of a basketball player in there. My job is to get that out of him. And I didn’t get that done.”
• Izzo on Tre Holloman: “I was surprised. It was a little bit of a surprise. But Tre wanted some things, too.” Noted that he felt Tre wanted a chance to start at point guard. He also said fans ripping into him on social media are ‘ridiculous.’
• Izzo said that if any of his staff tries to contact players during the season they will be gone.
• Interestingly, Izzo noted that he doesn’t think Jase Richardson has fully closed the door on returning to MSU next year.

You can see a summary of what he had to say below: