Tom Izzo gives DII team a harsh pep talk after being blown out by MSU

Pretty much every Division I team plays a lower-level opponent as a tune-up for the regular season. Pretty much every one of them wins, as they take on significantly weaker opposition.

What makes Michigan State’s 101-46 win over St. Cloud State different is that the connection between the big school and the little school didn’t end with the blowout. Izzo showed up at the Huskies’ film session the next day and berated the Huskies, criticizing their lackluster play against his Spartans. From the St. Cloud Times:

Izzo, who is marking his 20th year at the helm of the Spartans, let St. Cloud State know exactly how he felt about their performance against his team. Izzo didn’t hold back in calling out the Huskies’ lack of leadership and their individualistic tendencies.

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Izzo spoke to the Huskies for about 40 minutes. His speech focused on how players who have been focused on themselves in the past have cost the Spartans chances of winning more.

This wasn’t Izzo being the meanest, pettiest person of all time. The Huskies’ coach, Matt Reimer, is in his first year on the job, and asked Izzo if he’d speak to the team. It’s not clear whether he asked Izzo for a pep talk or a stern talking-to, but clearly Izzo felt free to speak his mind.

(Point guard Jordan) Poydras didn’t mind the advice he got from Izzo. In fact, he thought he needed the criticism.

“I think it helped us get our heads on straight,” Poydras said. “It’s nice hearing that feedback from somebody who has been around the game so long. He knows so much. For him to talk to us, and the things he said, really means a lot.”

So it turns out a fiery speech from one of the most respected coaches in the country might go a long way with the Huskies. Which makes for a cool story, although we’d kind of prefer to imagine Izzo being so angry about his opponents’ paltry performance that he made a trip to eviscerate the poor kids his team demolished.