Tom Izzo’s Michigan State Spartans lost to Kansas State 98-93 in overtime of their Sweet 16 matchup at Madison Square Garden in New York in the NCAA Tournament on Thursday, and the Michigan State coach was not exactly oozing class after the defeat.
Izzo’s Spartans were tied with the Wildcats at 92 with just over a minute left until Kansas State’s Keyontae Johnson made a huge alley-oop dunk to put his team up.
ALLEY OOP FROM THE LOGO @KStateMBB pic.twitter.com/J1zd16u1pM
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) March 24, 2023
Then with 15 seconds left, Ismael Massoud made a great baseline shot to put his team up by three.
CLUTCH SHOT FROM MASSOUD @KStateMBB pic.twitter.com/q9MPER02o7
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) March 24, 2023
Even though it was a great, close game, Izzo seemed to diminish Kansas State’s accomplishment. He said in his postgame interview with TBS’ Allie LaForce that Kansas State made some “lucky plays.”
“Give them credit. They banked in two shot-clock threes. They made some big plays but some of those plays weren’t big plays; they were lucky plays. I didn’t think we played our best. Some of it was them, some of it was us,” Izzo said.
“Mr. March” calls Kansas State performance “lucky”
Sad. pic.twitter.com/yNGczqxJcY
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) March 24, 2023
Kansas State may have shot 55.9 percent from the field in the victory and made 45.8 percent on threes, but let’s not act like things weren’t also going Michigan State’s way. The Spartans shot 49.2 percent from the field and made 52 percent of their threes.
Izzo probably wouldn’t appreciate an opposing coach saying the Spartans got lucky if they had won. Kansas State probably doesn’t have time to worry about Izzo’s comments though since the Wildcats have an Elite Eight game to prepare for.
