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Michigan State men’s basketball coach Tom Izzo ripped the NCAA’s recent decision to allow former NBA G League players to play college ball.
Thierry Darlan, 21, committed to Santa Clara last month after spending parts of two seasons in the G League, while London Johnson, who spent three seasons in the league, will attend Louisville.
Izzo said today’s college basketball has “no rules,” and “kids aren’t the problem, we’re the problem.”
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Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo exits the court after a 70-64 loss to Auburn in the Elite Eight round of the NCAA tournament at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia, on Sunday, March 30, 2025. (Junfu Han / USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
“I am going to get myself in trouble. … I’m not real excited about the NCAA or whoever is making these decisions, without talking to us, just letting it go. They’re afraid they’re going to get sued,” Izzo told reporters on Tuesday, via ESPN.
“Someone is going to say, ‘Well, if they go pro and it doesn’t work out, they should be able to come back. Well, what about the freshmen you recruited there? That’s somebody’s son and he thinks he’s got himself a good place, and all of a sudden, shazam, they pull out of their hat and bring a 21- or 22-year-old in (from the G League). To me, it’s ridiculous. It’s embarrassing.”
Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo gestures in the second half of a game against New Mexico in the second round of the NCAA men’s college basketball tournament Sunday, March 23, 2025, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
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“And I love my job. I don’t respect my profession, and I don’t respect whoever is doing that. Whoever made those decisions because they’re afraid that a lawyer is going to sue them, sooner or later, you’ve got to fight the fight. … Maybe I’m the dummy, but I’ll never agree to that stuff.”
Izzo said that the NCAA must “regroup” and again absolve the players themselves of any blame.
Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo looks on during practice day ahead of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament at Spectrum Center on March 20, 2024, in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
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“I’m not going to be mad at the players. I’m going to be mad at the adults in the room,” he said. “So don’t blame the players anymore. Blame the adults that make the decisions, that allow some of these ridiculous things to happen. And then the unintended consequences hurt kids that are trying to do it the right way with a process, not jumping around.”
Izzo’s Spartans made the Elite Eight last season but lost to Auburn.
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