Tom Izzo got into a heated altercation with a player during Michigan State’s loss to UCLA on Thursday night, and Spartans alumni were quick to downplay the incident.
Izzo was upset with Gabe Brown over some poor defensive rotations at the end of the first half. Izzo confronted Brown about it, and Brown then appeared to shout in the coach’s face (video here). The two continued to argue as they headed to the locker room.
Draymond Green, one of the most prominent players to play for Izzo at Michigan State, was dismissive of the altercation. He said it is typical for Michigan State and told people to move on.
“Typical Michigan State exchange… move on RELAX!” Green tweeted.
Another former Spartan, Brandon Wood, also defended Izzo. Wood, who was teammates with Green at Michigan State from 2011-2012, said the fire we saw from Izzo on Thursday night is what he liked most about playing for the Hall of Famer.
“That was one of the parts of Izzo’s coaching style I respected the most,” Wood wrote on Twitter. “That situation going into the tunnel was nothing! He allows his players to challenge him and he’s coming right back at you! I bet he was hype after all that.”
Izzo is highly respected and beloved by most of his former players, so it’s no surprise they came to his defense. He’s known for being hard on players, which is why he also received attention for this NCAA Tournament incident two years ago.
