Tom Izzo discusses importance of Michigan rivalry ahead of Tuesday’s matchup

Tom Izzo takes this rivalry seriously and he spoke about the importance of the Michigan game ahead of Tuesday’s matchup.

Tom Izzo is no stranger to Michigan State’s biggest rivalry with Michigan. He has been a part of this rivalry for a long time and has always said how important it is to beat Michigan. Not only because he wants to do well during the Big Ten season, but also because he knows how important beating them is to the fanbase.

Leading up to the next matchup between these schools on Tuesday, Izzo talked about the rivalry and the importance of it.

What did Izzo say?

When speaking about the rivalry, Izzo said, “As long as I’m alive, the rivalry will be the rivalry.”

To me that is a very telling statement. It first speaks on how important this game is to him this season. He knows MSU needs this win for their tournament resume and that a loss would be hard to overcome. Izzo also knows how important of a win this is for the scope of the basketball program. Beating Michigan is always important when it comes to recruiting the state of Michigan. Losing to the Wolverines could give them an edge over the Spartans for any in-state recruit.

This quote also tells me that Izzo is doing everything he can to make this rivalry a priority even when he’s done coaching. At some point Izzo no longer will be roaming the sidelines at the Breslin Center, but that doesn’t mean he won’t still have an impact on the program. Izzo’s telling us this rivalry will still be one of the most important things even after he’s no longer coaching.

Izzo also talked about the importance of a win in this game

Tom Izzo also spoke about this game specifically saying that, “Right now, we’re both struggling a little bit.”

To be fair, Michigan is struggling a lot more than MSU, but Izzo’s point still stands. Both the Spartans and Wolverines are desperate for a win, Michigan especially. At this point in the season, Michigan has nothing to lose. They won’t make the NCAA Tournament and probably won’t make the NIT either, so why not try to play spoiler to MSU’s season.

This game, even though it features two struggling teams, is still extremely important. Michigan State’s resume can’t take a loss to Michigan, so for that reason alone this is a must win. But if I know anything about Tom Izzo, it’s that he will never overlook Michigan. He’ll have his team ready to go and put on a show in front of a packed Breslin Center crowd.