Michigan State coaching legend Tom Izzo has been receiving some criticism online after he was held back by his own team while erupting on a freshman player during a first-round matchup with Bradley on Thursday. The Spartans survived to advance to the second round, but Izzo was furious with Aaron Henry midway through the game, and he berated the forward during a key Michigan State run.
Once the Spartans were in a huddle, Izzo then jumped out of his chair, still visibly irate with Henry. Izzo said after the game that Henry had made “effort-related” mistakes on the floor.
Via ESPN:
“What’s wrong with challenging a kid that makes some mistakes? Aaron Henry — trust me — did some things that you can’t do as a starter on a top-5 team at the end of your freshman year.”
Former Spartans star Draymond Green weighed in on the situation Friday and encouraged Henry to keep standing up for himself – even if it draws the ire of Izzo.
Henry co-signed a defense of issue from FS1’s Cris Carter, who argued that Izzo’s response was an example of old-school coaching.
