Road to the Final Four Amid Controversy and Scandal at MSU

What does this mean for Izzo’s legacy? And what does it mean for MSU, a university still dogged by scandal.

Pat Batcheller

Michigan State University’s men’s basketball team makes its 10th final four appearance on Saturday, and its eighth under coach Tom Izzo.

This is not just the biggest sports news right now in our state, it’s a cultural phenomenon that has people of all rooting interests — well maybe most rooting interests — pulling for the Spartans.

What does this mean for Izzo’s legacy? And what does it mean for MSU, a university still dogged by its awful handling of a recent sexual abuse scandal.

John Niyo is a sports columnist for the Detroit News. He joins the program from Minneapolis where he’s covering the Final Four.

Chris Hill is a former Michigan State basketball player. Hill was a member of the 2005 team that beat Duke in the Sweet Sixteen and went to the final four as a five-seed. Leading up to MSU’s game last weekend against Duke, Hill wrote an article for the Free Press about the mental preparation that went into defeating Duke in 2005. Until last weekend, the 2005 team was the only team to beat Duke under coach Tom Izzo.

Click on the audio player above to hear those conversations with Niyo and Hill on Detroit Today.

Author

  • Detroit Today
    Dynamic and diverse voices. News, politics, community and the issues that define our region. Hosted by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Stephen Henderson, Detroit Today brings you fresh and perceptive views weekdays at 9 am and 7 pm.