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Tom Izzo reflects on ‘honor’ of tying Bob Knight’s B1G conference wins record

Sydney Hunte

By Sydney Hunte

Published:

Tom Izzo on Saturday won his 353rd Big Ten conference game as Michigan State came back to top Oregon 86-74.

That puts him in a tie with Bob Knight, and took a little bit longer than possibly planned: the Spartans entered Saturday on a 2-game losing streak after falling to both USC and UCLA.

“(It’s) an honor … I’m proud of it because I get to be talked about with a guy that I really thought highly of as a coach,” the longtime Michigan State head coach, at the helm since 1995, said after the game. “Number two, I get to appreciate…players because I didn’t win one damn game. How many players won games for me in different ways.”

Saturday’s game wasn’t easy as Michigan State looked to avoid a third loss in a row: the Spartans trailed 50-36 at halftime before coming from behind thanks in part to a 50-point 2nd half, improving to 19-4 overall and 10-2 in the B1G.

Now, the Spartans have their eyes set on returning to the NCAA Tournament, a first Final Four berth since 2019, and a first national championship since 2000. Izzo now will look to break Knight’s record on Tuesday as Michigan State hosts — ironically — Indiana at the Breslin Center.

Sydney Hunte