Jan. 26, 2012

EAST LANSING, Mich. - By Steve Grinczel, MSUSpartans.com On-line Columnist

They stopped being recruiting promises and became self-fulfilling prophesies long ago.

If you come to Michigan State to play basketball, you will be a part of something special at one point, and probably many points, during your Spartan career.

Coach Tom Izzo calls them "memory-makers," and he delivered yet another Tuesday night during what on the surface looked like a routine 68-52 victory over Minnesota in the Breslin Center.

This time, it wasn't a trip to the Final Four, or raising a championship banner, or playing before a world-record crowd in a football stadium, or playing in one of the nation's revered basketball cathedrals (Cameron Indoor, Smith Center, Rupp Arena, Pauley Pavilion, Allen Fieldhouse), or scoring a 1,000th point, or unexpectedly ending up at the center of the basketball universe like that night against Gonzaga in Hawaii.

And it was more about Izzo and the program he joined as an apprentice under Jud Heathcote, inherited from his mentor and developed into a perennial national power than the current batch of players, including freshmen who weren't even done being potty trained when Izzo upped his career win record to 1-0 by beating Chaminade in 1995.

But these Spartans, who broke into Izzo's postgame press conference to present him with a game ball commemorating his 400th MSU victory, get it.

In the pantheon of Big Ten coaches, only Bob Knight (661 at Indiana), Gene Keady (512 at Purdue) and Lou Henson (423 at Illinois) reached that milestone at their respective schools before Izzo.

Izzo tried to downplay the feat going into the game, saying his pile of wins is a speed bump compared to Mike Krzyzewski's "two million" at Duke, but fifth-year senior co-captain Austin Thornton knows better.

"He's in elite company and he deserves everything he's gotten."

Izzo said the accomplishment is to be shared by players like Steve Smith, whom he recruited while still an assistant under Heathcote and who was instrumental in getting MSU back in the college basketball conversation.

And by Antonio Smith - the cornerstone of Izzo's program and Mateen Cleaves - the keystone. And by foundation-builders like Charlie Bell and Morris Peterson.

And by those, like Jason Richardson, Shannon Brown, Paul Davis and Drew Neitzel, who contributed, and by "resident superstar" Draymond Green, who continues to contribute, to MSU basketball's grand superstructure.

"I just think anytime you accomplish something that is a milestone, you should take the time to appreciate the people who got you there," Izzo said. "I appreciated my parents. I had a big appreciation for Jud. I don't think there is any question if he wouldn't have stuck up for me, I wouldn't be here. If he wouldn't have taught me like he did, I wouldn't be here.

"I think it was the players that have been here. I think it is the players that still support us. When I think of my favorite player, there are a million of them."

The blue-collar way the Spartans beat the Golden Gophers was a fitting tribute to a the self-described "16th player on a 15-man roster" when Izzo walked on at Northern Michigan and a Division II All-American when he walked off the Wildcats' floor for the last time four years later.

The Spartans' starting backcourt of Keith Appling and Brandon Wood combined for one basket on12 shots from the floor. Green shouldered much of the statistical burden with 22 points and 14 rebounds for his 11th double-double of the season and the 29th of his career.

Izzo applauded big men Derrick Nix and Adreian Payne for their gritty work inside. Freshman Branden Dawson built on his performance in the win over Purdue by matching his career-high with 16 points, and even Russell Byrd made his most meaningful contribution to date with five points, including the sixth 3-pointer of his career, in just seven minutes.

"We just kind of ground it out," Izzo said.

Minnesota's Tubby Smith was the head man at Kentucky when he and Izzo forged a treasured friendship and there are few coaches Izzo respects or admires as much as Smith.

So even though the latest game between the two ranked on the low end of the spectrum in terms of style points, Smith couldn't have paid an Izzo-coached team a higher compliment when he said, "I just thought they out-toughed us. As a team, I thought they played harder and played smarter."

Dawson saw Izzo fight back tears as the final seconds wound down and the Izzone hoisted pieces of paper marked with nothing but the number "400."

"During my recruitment, Coach Izzo always told me that I was always going to be a part of big things like this," Dawson said. "Playing North Carolina on the aircraft carrier was a special moment.

"And this is definitely one of those moments."

Green described Izzo's 400th as the ultimate program win.

"It means a lot to me to be part of such a historic night," Green said. "Of course, we (current players) can't take hardly any credit for this, but we'll take a little. It's definitely everything all the guys did before you that allows us to do what we do.

"Usually when he's getting all emotional it's about something for somebody else. It's great to see him get emotional about something he accomplished. He'll care about it tonight, and tomorrow he won't care about it anymore.

"But I'll care about it, and I'll keep it in my heart."