By NOAH TRISTER
EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Michigan State coach Tom Izzo has had a chance to reflect on a team he now views as an inspiration.
Izzo spoke for about an hour Thursday at his season-ending news conference — an event that took place a couple weeks later than a lot of people would have expected. A No. 7 seed in the NCAA Tournament, the Spartans reached the Final Four thanks to an upset of Virginia and wins over Oklahoma and Louisville.
The run finally ended in the national semifinals last weekend, when Michigan State lost 81-61 to Duke.
Izzo says his players are “role models” for the way they worked through their struggles and turned this season into a memorable one.