Michigan State’s Tom Izzo celebrated a historic victory on Saturday night, leading his team to a 79-65 win over Illinois and breaking former Indiana coach Bob Knight’s record of 353 Big Ten conference wins. The No. 11 Spartans came from behind to defeat the Illini, overcoming a 16-point deficit in the first half.
Izzo, who celebrated his 70th birthday earlier this month, improved his career Big Ten win total to 354-173. He also moved closer to 800 overall wins since replacing Jud Heathcote as head coach in 1995. The milestone victory marked Izzo’s 27th season with the Spartans.
The win was sweet revenge for Izzo, who had lost to Illinois just two days prior on Tuesday night. “What a win,” Izzo said of Saturday’s game. He praised his team’s resilience and ability to bounce back from a tough loss.
Despite the loss, Illinois coach Brad Underwood showed respect for Izzo and Michigan State. “It stinks,” Underwood said of the defeat. Former Illini star Terrence Shannon Jr. even visited the Spartans’ locker room to congratulate Izzo after the game.
The win was also special for Izzo, who tied Knight’s record earlier in the season. However, Izzo has consistently expressed his admiration for Knight and would give up all his Big Ten wins to have two more NCAA tournament championships.
Source: https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/43867502/michigan-state-tom-izzo-passes-knight-most-big-ten-wins