Tom Izzo and the Michigan State Spartans have been at the receiving end of criticism lately. They’ve had a good season so far, going 25-6 overall and 15-5 in the Big Ten Conference, where they’re the third seed.
The trolling and criticism stem from the fact that they’re trailing behind their rivals, the Michigan Wolverines. The Wolverines are at the top of the Big Ten chart with a 19-1 conference record and 29-2 overall.
To make matters worse for the Spartans, they lost to Michigan 80-90 in their last matchup. The Michigan fans are busy celebrating their team’s run this season. They’re also slipping in some mean jabs at Izzo on regular intervals.
Recently, the Wolverines fans turned Izzo and the Spartans into a meme, calling them the ‘Little brother’ program and Izzo and elf. Amid the nonstop trolling, Izzo has had enough, and he recently clapped back.
“I guess the crowd didn’t watch the game because I’m nobody’s damn little brother, and neither is my team,” he said. “I’m really proud of my team and how they played and what they did. I give Michigan a lot of credit. They shot the daylights out of it, especially Yaxel [Lendeborg]. He shot [5-of-6] from three, and they took 100 free throws. That was the difference in the game.”
Izzo stated that he’s not taking “a backseat to nobody.” He praised the Wolverines for a successful run so far, complimenting their 29-2 run, but he’s not willing to let fans treat his team as the ‘little brother’ in this equation.
Izzo said that the Wolverines deserve their success and his team will get better.
Dave Portnoy Called Out Tom Izzo
The Wolverines haven’t always been the better team in the conference. Last season, they ranked below the Spartans when Izzo’s team was the number one seed in the conference with a 30-7 overall record.
This season’s success has given the Wolverines fans another reason to target their rivals, and they’re not wasting any opportunity. Last month, Dave Portnoy called out Izzo for running what he believes is a “dirty program.”
“Once again Tom Izzo shows no leadership and accountability,” Portnoy wrote on X. “The dirty program starts at the top. No wonder parents want to send their kids to Michigan nowadays. Lead from the front! The Michigan Man Way!”
Izzo has never been one to tolerate such behavior. If the trolling doesn’t stop, we’ll hear from him again soon.
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