Chat Live With Coach Tom Izzo
1/23/2002 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 23, 2002
Lansing, Mich. - On Thursday, Jan. 26, at 3:30 p.m. ET, Michigan State men's basketball coach Tom Izzo hits chat to talk about the college hoop season.
Seventh-year head coach Tom Izzo has built quite an impressive resume with the Spartans : one NCAA Championship, four regular-season Big Ten Championships, two Big Ten Tournament titles, three Final Four appearances and three National Coach of the Year awards. Not bad.
In his six years directing the Spartan programs Izzo has bumped his career coaching record to 148-53 heading into this season. On top of that, 79 percent of his players who completed their eligibility also left with a degree. In 2001, all five of MSU's seniors received their diplomas. Izzo's 148 wins over his first six seasons are the fourth most by any coach in his first six seasons in the history of college basketball. His .736 winning percentage ranks eighth among active coaches. And as the games get even bigger in the NCAA Tournament, Izzo is at his best winning at a clip of .842 to lead all active coaches with at least 10 tournament games coached. He ranks fourth in the history of the game, ahead of such legends as John Wooden and Phog Allen.
Michigan State is coming off a season where they finished the year with a 28-5 record and a No. 3 ranking. The Spartans lost in the NCAA Tournament national semifinal to Arizona 80-6. This season the Spartans are 11-7 and 2-3 in the Big Ten.
Izzo won't hit the chat room until Thursday. Feel free to drop him some questions here and we'll save them for his arrival.
