Senior night is always an emotional evening for college basketball teams, as seniors have one more chance to play in front of their home crowd. This year, at Michigan State, senior night had a different feel for coach Tom Izzo.
Wednesday night’s game vs. Northwestern was senior night for Steven Izzo, Tom Izzo’s son who walked on and spent five years in the Spartans’ program. After Michigan State defeated the Wildcats 53–49, Big Ten Network’s Andy Katz spoke with the Izzos about the experience.
“I’m just so thankful that he allowed me to walk-on five years ago.” Steven Izzo said while fighting back tears. “It’s been the greatest decision that I ever made, no matter how hard the lifts are or how long meetings go, it’s all worth it at the end of day, and I’m so grateful to be able to do it with you.”
"I'm just so thankful that he allowed me to walk-on five years ago."
Steven Izzo gets emotional in this @MSU_Basketball senior night interview with @TheAndyKatz. ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/j0eeCxsh2v
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) March 7, 2024
In his five years at Michigan State, Steven Izzo played in 43 games, all off the bench for an average of 1.2 minutes per game. He scored the only three points of his college career earlier this season in front of a raucous home crowd.
For Tom Izzo, who spent his entire career in the demanding college basketball profession, coaching his son meant getting time back he may have lost earlier.
“I tell every man or woman out there that coaches a men’s or women’s sport, if you can have your son or daughter with you, there’s nothing better,” Izzo said. “We’ve all sacrificed a lot, a lot of coaches have sacrificed more than I do, but getting some of that back, that means the world to me.”
