Two Hall of Fame coaches, Tom Izzo and Mike Krzyzewski are facing off for a spot in the Final Four. The Duke Blue Devils have had great success against the Michigan State Spartans in the previous meetings. Here’s a breakdown of Coach K’s dominance against Izzo.
Record
Duke has won 11 of the 12 games played before today, including three of four in the NCAA Tournament. Michigan State’s only win came in the 2005 Regional Semifinals.
History
Krzyzewski won the first meeting, 73-67, in Dec. 1998. The next meeting came the following year, in the Final Four. The Blue Devils snatched a 68-62 victory in that one. Here are the following nine:
December 3, 2003: Duke 72, Michigan State 50
November 30, 2004: Duke 81, Michigan State 74
March 25, 2005: Michigan State 78, Duke 68
December 1, 2010: Duke 84, Michigan State 79
November 15, 2011: Duke 74, Michigan State 69
March 29, 2013: Duke 71, Michigan State 61
November 18, 2014: Duke 81, Michigan State 71
April 4, 2015: Duke 81, Michigan State 61
November 29, 2016: Duke 78, Michigan State 69
Rivalry
Both coaches have downplayed the rivalry recently, which is smart because who wants to provide bulletin board material? If Izzo is able to get his second win, against this talented Duke team, it will go a long way in easing the pain of all the other losses. If not, it could — could — be the final opportunity.
