Michigan State Basketball: Why Spartans would’ve won 2020 NCAA Tournament
By Ryan Kay
Tom Izzo is Mr. March
Head coach Tom Izzo has an impressive resume that includes his accomplishments in the NCAA tournament throughout the years. He has 21 straight NCAA Tournament appearances, eight Final Four appearances, and a national champion on his NCAA tournament coaching resume. There was no doubt that he was ready to lead his team to another NCAA tournament run this March.
Some will only look at the negatives about Izzo’s losses in the NCAA tournament such as Izzo’s team losing to Middle Tennessee State or his team’s disappointing loss to Syracuse. Those same doubters forget that he led his team just last year a victory over Duke in the Elite Eight on his way to his eighth Final Four appearance. Izzo did an outstanding job coaching his team this season and he wanted an opportunity for his second national championship.
A highly motivated Izzo heading into this March had many believing that he would lead his team to a national championship in 2020. He had many of his players back from last year’s Final Four team and this team was very tuned into Izzo’s coaching and they embraced his coaching style which was a recipe for success going into this year’s NCAA tournament.
Izzo as a coach had eluded to the fact that this was his most difficult season as a coach. Some may have seen that as a reason to not have expected the Spartans to not have won the national title this year. However, it should have been seen as a reason why Izzo, after all, he went through as a coach this season would have led to much success in the NCAA tournament. As the old saying goes, “Breakdowns can create breakthroughs. Things fall apart so things can fall together.”
All of what has been said about Izzo leads to the conclusion that he would have led his team to a national championship this year. In a unique and somewhat odd way, ever thing he endured this season had him ready to lead his team to victory.