Tom Izzo won’t tolerate dirty players on his roster.
“I’ve had it with that,” Izzo told reporters after No. 10 Michigan State’s 76-73 loss to Minnesota on Wednesday. “That’s not what I teach. That’s not what I coach.”
Izzo’s words came after point guard Jeremy Fears Jr. came under fire again for making unnecessary contact with his opponents. Fears seemingly lifted his leg well above his waist to kick Langston Reynolds between the legs after Reynolds contacted him. Fears was called for a technical foul.
Later in the game, Fears was sitting on the ground and appeared to kick his leg up as Reynolds hopped over him.
Izzo’s not certain Fears is going out of his way to unnecessarily contact players, saying he “is a physical player.” But history isn’t in Fears’ favor because after Friday’s game against Michigan, Wolverines head coach Dusty May accused Fears of tripping forward Yaxel Lendeborg.
“I think things got blown up in the last game,” Izzo said, in reference to that Lendeborg instance.
But if Izzo discovers Fears actions are truly intentional — and therefore, dangerous — he’s not afraid to take action.
“If he plays that way, he deserves [technical fouls],” Izzo said after the loss to Minnesota on Wednesday. “Okay, and he ain’t going to play that way if I bench him the next game.”
Such a punishment would undoubtedly hurt the Spartans, who need Fears on the court and in the lineup. They’ve lost consecutive games, and he’s their leading scorer at 19.2 points per game. He scored 31 points in the 83-71 loss to Michigan and had a 10-point, 11-assist double-double tonight.
But Izzo has shown in the past that he’s willing to teach a player a lesson even if it costs his team a result.
