Tom Izzo Wants It On Record That He Doesn't Coach His Players To Kick Others In The Groin

Michigan State was a huge favorite heading into its test at Minnesota on Wednesday, but not only did the Spartans fail that test, the leader of the team got whistled for a technical foul for making what very much appeared to be a boneheaded decision on purpose.

While holding the basketball just inside the three-point line, Jeremy Fears Jr. threw his foot up between the legs of Minnesota guard Langston Reynolds in a sequence that would make any man squirm. Reynolds didn't react with immediate pain like most would have, but ultimately, Fears was issued a technical foul for the play.

While Fears' leg toss to the groin of Reynolds garnered a lot of attention due to the fact that he was whistled for a technical foul, another video shows the Spartans' leading scorer being rather aggressive in other moments throughout the contest as well.

Following his team's 76-73 loss, Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo was blunt about Fears' antics during the game and took time to send a message to his player while also making sure everyone knew he isn't coaching his team to play dirty.

"I’ve had it with that," Izzo explained after the game. "That’s not what I teach. That’s not what I coach. If he plays that way, he deserves [technical fouls], okay, and he ain’t going to play that way if I bench him the next game." 

Izzo threatening to sit Fears in the team's next game is not only significant because he leads the team in minutes, points, and assists, but the next game on the slate happens to be against No. 5 Illinois in what is undoubtedly the biggest home game left on the Spartans' schedule.

It's more unlikely than not that Michigan State won't catch Illinois or Michigan atop the Big Ten standings when it's all said and done, but sitting your best player against a team you're chasing in the conference in February certainly wouldn't help the cause.