The following is the standard argument Spartans fans can use when their team's resolve is questioned: Tom Izzo is the coach, so relax.
Six Final Fours, a national championship...yeah, we get it. Izzo is one of the top coaches in the land and he—simply put—gets the job done best when he's expected to do less.
If that's not enough of a security blanket for Spartans fans to curl under, maybe a green and white Snuggie would do the trick.
I appreciate Adam Biggers’ praise and confidence for Izzo. I really do. And when the Spartans come off of a two game losing streak and look forward to facing Michigan in Ann Arbor, I love the idea of a “security Izzo snuggie”. But let’s make sure that everyone understands exactly what job it is that Izzo does best. Or aims to do best.
Izzo cannot perform miracles. He is not allowed to be a sixth man on the court. And while he likely wishes he could, Izzo cannot have tiny speakers implanted into the ears of his players throughout the game. Izzo can yell (boy can he yell), he can provide inspirational speeches and cough constructive feedback throughout the game, he can masterfully teach defense, rebounding, and create offensive plays, but Izzo cannot MAKE the defense and plays happen. Players make plays happen. Coaches teach the skills, motivate, and ultimately push players to be able to independently and successfully perform those skills.
Pausing for a moment. I want to make sure that an unjust amount of credit/blame is not placed upon the shoulders of the players. Because, without contradicting myself, one of the many attributes I respect most about Izzo is his unwavering support for the “family” he has built (this goes beyond his current players to encompass past players, fellow coaches, and players from a variety of teams, but that’s just icing on the cake and there’s not enough time to dig into the awesomeness of Izzo’s loyalty).
Tom Izzo likes to throw an arm around Keith Appling's shoulder from time to time and share a message with his point guard.
You and me Keith.
Essentially, for better or worse, point guard and head coach, lightning rods, heroes or zeroes.
Izzo will be honest. He’ll call out his own players, ESPECAILLY if he senses them not performing to the best of their ability. BUT he has their back on and off the court. However, listen closely to what makes Izzo and those like him shine as a coach/teacher and why his players/teams always tend to overachieve. Izzo teaches the players to have their OWN backs (which includes those of their fellow teammates, but since I already wrote a blog about being a “good teammate” there’s no need to dig deeper into it). He teaches them the skill of learning all that can be learned during practice and applying it on the court when it matters. That’s why Izzo loved Draymond Green. He made his job “easy” by being the coach on the court. Izzo didn’t need to be the directing voice, it was internalized by Draymond and the players and became their own. Remember when Appling had to look to Izzo before and often during each play last year as he adjusted to point guard!? The boy isn’t perfect but he SURE knows how to make his own plays now! THAT is the difference between a good player and a GREAT player.
Metaphor- There’s a difference between being able to speak a foreign language and being fluent in it. Those who are fluent will say they do not have to first think of their sentence in English and then translate it over to the other language, they can just think/say it automatically in the desired language. No in between translation step. Same thing for a well coached athlete. No need to think about what coach would tell you to do or not do. They just do it because it was masterfully already ingrained in them.
Oh, and just to throw it out there, a good college coach doesn’t just have players backs and teach them to have their own backs in the sport, they also teach them how to do so in life. Nix graduating...Appling trusting people....yup:)
Ok, so this whole speal was inspired by Izzo’s comment on the radio today. When the talk show host said maybe Izzo should install screens in the players rooms during bi weeks reminding them of what they should be doing, Izzo responded with something along the lines of - there comes a time when guys have to take a break, look at the sky/ceiling and say everyone has told me what I need to do, now what am I going to do.
And there you have it. I’d say that when players reach that point of knowing what they need to do and then doing it is when we note these magically growing moments. Some call it Izzo’s own March magic. Such as Payne’s double digit rebounding, CONSISTENTLY playing good clean offense, and sinking the important 3s. Really- who even IMAGINED Payne as one of our top 3 point shooters!!?? Nix being able to play smart basketball. Knowing when to go to the basket, when to pass it out, and in doing so being one of our top play makers. And Harris. Yes folks, he is technically a freshman, but boy does he play like a veteran. Harris makes the 3s, plays in the paint, steals on defense, and leads the freshmen in Big Ten scoring. If this kid second guesses himself on the court he sure does not show it. Harris plays with a maturity and confidence of someone who knows a sure thing- that his coaching staff and teammates have provided him with all the support and necessary skills needed to make plays and win.
As #9MSU faces #4UofM, yet AGAIN two top 10 ranked teams, I’d humbly say that it is a sure thing that Michigan State CAN win. Each player not only knows WHAT they need to do in order to win, but SHOULD have the confidence of knowing they CAN do it....because they already undeniably did!! Question comes down to will each player DO it. This is not to put more pressure on the team, I have no doubt that each and every one of them will play their hardest. And yes, this is when a little bit of luck can go a long way. That’s the unpredictable drama of sports. I’m just hoping to see a team step out on the court, just like they did a couple weeks ago at the Breslin, and play like a family that does not need coaching during those 2 plus hours because they already got it. They listened, they learned, and they can perform. A group of players who can combined their hard earned skills with the steadfast coaching of Izzo and company, and take that performance combination out onto the court. And DO IT.
go ahead and Copyright Nike
