Here’s A Perfect Example of Why Tom Izzo Hates Social Media
Michigan State coach Tom Izzo found himself at the center of a "controversy" on Monday, thanks in large part to social media.
Speaking on the regular Monday Big Ten conference call with reporters, Izzo was asked to compare the undefeated Kentucky Wildcats to the last college basketball team to complete an undefeated national championship season, the 1975-1976 Indiana Hoosiers.
Izzo spoke at length, often praising Kentucky and its coach, John Calipari, but a couple things he said took off (read the full transcript here):
"I'm not sure I'm crazy about the way everything has worked out," Izzo said, adding "I don't know what it will do for college basketball and everything like that."
Not long after that conference call, a Louisville-based reporter asked Calipari to respond to Izzo's comments. Calipari said he hadn't heard Izzo's comments specifically but said the two are friends.
On social media, the narrative had already been set though: Izzo was denigrating Calipari, a man often accused of cheating.
Later Monday, after MSU's practice, Izzo ripped into social media, as he is want to do.
"There's got to be an idiot in Louisville, because you couldn't take what I said and screw that up, if anybody saw it, and screw that up except on Twitter," Izzo said. "Then you could, because you could pick and choose."
See and hear Izzo himself in the MLive video above.
Izzo said he and Calipari have since talked and the whole thing is ado about nothing.