Tom Izzo Says Kansas State Hit ‘Lucky Plays’ To Win, Sounds Like He Has Some Sour Grapes

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Tom Izzo took a not-so-subtle jab at Kansas State after Michigan State fell in the Sweet 16 to the Wildcats.

Jerome Tang and Kansas State upset Michigan State 98-93 in overtime Thursday night in a game that will be remembered for a long time.

It was the definition of a classic March Madness matchup, but Izzo might come to regret some postgame comments he made.

Specifically, he claimed Kansas State got a bit “lucky.”

Tom Izzo makes unfortunate comments after losing to Kansas State. (Photo by Jamie Schwaberow/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)

“Give [Kansas State] credit. I mean, they banked in two shot clock threes. And, they made some big plays, but some of those big plays weren’t big plays, they were lucky plays. And, I didn’t think we played our best. Some if it was them. Some of it was us,” Izzo said after the stunning and incredible finish.

Tom Izzo should choose his words a bit more carefully.

Tom Izzo is a great coach. There’s no doubt about that at all. The man is made for March. The joke has always been he could win in March with a high school team.

Given his incredible amount of success over the years, he should definitely know what you say after a loss means a lot more than what you say after a win.

He should have tipped his cap, credited his players for a hard-fought game and left it there. Saying Kansas State had “lucky plays” down the stretch is just not necessary.

Michigan State loses to Kansas State in the Sweet 16. (Photo by Ben Solomon/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)

Furthermore, you can’t get lucky if your opponent doesn’t give you a window to do so. If you don’t want Kansas State hitting “lucky shots,” don’t let them even get the ball out of their hands.

That’s on Michigan State. You simply can’t detract from what Kansas State did during the monster Sweet 16 win by calling any of it “lucky.”

Tang and his team went out and did what needed to be done to win. Tom Izzo’s team ultimately did not. It’s that simple.

Tom Izzo has unfortunate reaction to Michigan State losing to Kansas State in the Sweet 16. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

Shake their hands, tip your cap and don’t try to downgrade it by talking about “lucky plays.” Tom Izzo is certainly a lot better than that. Or, at the very least, he should be.

Written by David Hookstead

David Hookstead is a reporter for OutKick covering a variety of topics with a focus on football and culture.

He also hosts of the podcast American Joyride that is accessible on Outkick where he interviews American heroes and outlines their unique stories. Before joining OutKick, Hookstead worked for the Daily Caller for seven years covering similar topics.

Hookstead is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin.

2 Comments

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  1. This was not a great Sparty team this year. They got farther and did better than most of us expected. I thought K-State was the better team, but…I also thought about those end of clock desperation 3s that went in. Not once, but twice. The difference in the game as it turned out. You cannot change it, it is what it is. But Izzo is right and it’s sticking in his craw. MSU’s had a few weird ones over the years in the NCAA. But in this case, I truly think the best team won. Speaking as a Spartan.

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