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Tom Izzo apologizes to MSU fans who traveled to Maui following upset loss to VT

Paul Harvey

By Paul Harvey

Published:

Michigan State wound up on the wrong side of an upset in the Maui Invitational.

On Monday, the No. 3 Spartans faced off against Virginia Tech. Playing in the tournament early in the year is a good non-conference experience, but Tom Izzo’s squad looked out of sorts throughout.

Star point guard Cassius Winston picked up two early fouls and spent a lot of time on the sidelines. He finished with just seven points in the game.

Among other issues, Michigan State turned the ball over 16 times against a determined Hokies squad. Virginia Tech also shot 47.6% from the three-point line and held a 10-point lead in the second half.

It was not the kind of performances fans expect from an Izzo-led squad, and he shouldered the blame after the loss. He addressed the fans who made the trek to Maui and apologized for the effort in the upset.

Chris Solari with the Detroit Free Press shared Izzo’s comments:

Michigan State will now play Georgia on Tuesday in the consolation bracket of the tournament before a key non-conference clash against Duke on Dec. 3.

Paul Harvey

Paul is a lifelong fan and student of all things college football. He has been covering college football since 2017 and the B1G since 2018.