Michigan State’s Tom Izzo longing for closing showdown with Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski

GREENVILLE, S.C. — For many years now, Tom Izzo has seen the person he considers one of many best — if not the best — of all time lined up reverse of him. Duke versus Michigan State has change into a excessive level when it occurs within the common season and a must-watch sport throughout NCAA tournaments.

And after the No. 7-seeded Spartans barely bought by No. 10 Davidson 74-73 on Friday night time, Izzo may lastly share what had form of been there all alongside: He’d get yet one more likelihood to beat Mike Krzyzewski and Duke.

Sunday’s second-round matchup would be the sixth NCAA event assembly between Izzo and Krzyzewski, in what Izzo dubbed “an excellent day for faculty basketball.”

It’s going to additionally mark the most typical head-coaching matchup within the historical past of the event, bypassing the 5 matchups between Roy Williams and Invoice Self and between Eddie Sutton and Denny Crum.

“I did not wish to look forward and dream of the matchup, since you get an opportunity, yet one more time, to play in opposition to perhaps the all-time nice, as they are saying about LeBron [James] or they are saying about Michael [Jordan],” Izzo mentioned after the Spartans’ win. “Within the teaching world, the GOAT is the group we’ll play, and it has been earned. It isn’t been given. It has been earned.

“And you understand, I’ll attempt my hardest to see if we will get a couple of extra, yet one more, on the constructive facet of that factor, however each time we have performed it has been a sport I appeared ahead to.”

Izzo and Krzyzewski have matched up usually through the years, each within the NCAA event and the common season. Izzo is 3-12 in opposition to Krzyzewski in his profession and 2-Three within the NCAA event. The final time they met, although, got here within the 2019 Elite Eight, when Michigan State beat Duke 68-67 to go to the Last 4.

The 2 coaches have mixed for 151 NCAA event wins, with Krzyzewski’s 98 wins probably the most all time and Izzo’s 53 fifth most. They’re tied for probably the most consecutive NCAA event appearances at 24; Krzyzewski’s streak ended final yr. They’re two of the highest three coaches in event historical past in profitable proportion: Krzyzewski is first at .765 and Izzo third at .706.

However to Izzo, Duke has been the mannequin of consistency throughout Krzyzewski’s 42 years as coach. He calls him “the category of the category.”

“I believe Mike has achieved extra for our occupation than simply Duke basketball. That is about basketball,” Izzo mentioned. “It is concerning the occupation I selected, and he is been the mannequin. He is been the mannequin of consistency. After I bought the job and gained the nationwide championship in 5 years and other people have been able to canonize you, a minimum of for a yr or two, I mentioned come again in 10 years after which 15 and for him it has been 42 years of consistency.

“And that, for me, is the final word respect you give an individual, if he can constantly be knocking on the door yr after yr after yr.”