A total of eight double-digit seeds pulled off upsets to advance to the second round of the NCAA tournament, but arguably the biggest storyline from the first two days is a 30-second clip of Michigan State coach Tom Izzo erupting on the sideline.
Michigan State staved off an upset bid from 15-seed Bradley on Thursday, but in the heat of the moment, Izzo was furious with freshman forward Aaron Henry. During a timeout, Michigan State players separated Izzo from Henry while the legendary coach erupted on his young player.
The clip has drawn a wide range of reactions, and several of Izzo’s former players have defended the coach on social media. Henry, meanwhile, had no idea that the moment would be so polarizing. In an interview with Sports Illustrated, Henry said he was surprised that the clip went viral, and didn’t think that there was any issue with Izzo’s rant.
Via Sports Illustrated:
“I didn’t think it was a big deal. Someone had to tell me that I went viral after the game, and I’m like really? For that? Wow…. I was playing so bad, offense, defense, I haven’t played like that before. It’s O.K., he’s going to yell, it‘s what he does. Can’t listen to how he says it. Just what he says.”
Michigan State’s Cassius Winston said that Izzo is simply holding his players to a high standard – and there’s plenty of evidence to support that his methods deliver results.
“When he’s getting after you or when he’s yelling it’s never out of harm. It’s never out of hate. It’s literally him wanting the best for you and him challenging you and pushing you the best you can be and it’s worked for years and years and years.”
