EAST LANSING, Mich. — Michigan State men's head basketball coach Tom Izzo accomplished something that has never been done before in the history of the great game - he has taken his team to 25 straight NCAA Tournaments.
Izzo breaks a record set by Duke legend Mike Krzyzewski who danced 24 years in a row.
The run started for Izzo back in 1998 in his third year as the head coach of the Spartans, and Michigan State has not taken a March off since.
Michigan State enters the 2023 tournament as the No. 7 seed in the East region against No. 10 seed USC. The Spartans and Trojans will play on Friday in Columbus.
The two schools have only played once ever before in the history of both programs. That was back in the 2009 NCAA Tournament where the Spartans beat the Trojans 74-69. Michigan State lost to North Carolina in the National Championship game that season.
The time for tipoff on Friday will be at 12:15 p.m. and televised on CBS.
If Michigan State is able to win on Friday, the Spartans will get the winner of the Marquette/Vermont matchup in the Round of 32.
Michigan State has not been able to advance beyond the first round of the tournament if five of the last six dances. In 2019, the Spartans went all the way to the Final Four.
Izzo has taken the Spartans to the Final Four on eight separate occasions. That is the most among active coaches in the NCAA.
This year, the Spartans finished with a 19-12 overall record. The No. 1 seed in the East Region is Purdue.
