SYRACUSE — It is a great story line, Tom Izzo and Rick Pitino having to get past each other in order to once again strut into the familiar terrain of another Final Four. A great story, that is, unless your team was left by the wayside and thrust out of the brackets by these two legendary coaches.
“Sure as hell is fitting for me and I’m sure for him,’’ Izzo said Saturday. “I’m sure there’s other coaches that don’t think it’s too fitting.’’
Sure, Sunday afternoon’s East Region final at the Carrier Dome represents the highest combined seed total (11) of any of the Elite Eight games in the NCAA Tournament. No doubt, No. 7 Michigan State is flawed enough to worry every time one of its players steps to the free-throw line. And yes, No. 4 Louisville often struggles to make shots from the perimeter. For months, the word, and the evidence, out of East Lansing and Louisville was these are not vintage teams when judged by the lofty standards of these programs. But this time of year, when Izzo is coaching one side and Pitino is guiding the other, playing deep into March is the norm, the expectation and, seemingly, the birthright.
“Izzo vs. Pitino’’ should be the headliner at the Carrier Dome, with “Spartans vs. Cardinals’’ taking second billing.
“[Dick] Vitale is happy,’’ Izzo said. “He’s got his Italian woodworking team or whatever he calls us. So he’s happy.’’
Izzo is trying to get into his seventh Final Four; Pitino is seeking his eighth. They met for the first time in the NCAA Tournament in 2009, when Michigan State as the No. 2 seed knocked off top-seeded Louisville, 64-52, in the Midwest Region final. In 2012, Pitino’s Cardinals beat Izzo’s No. 1 seed Spartans, 57-44, in a Sweet 16 matchup in Phoenix.
These are two of the most engaging quotes behind a podium and two of the most resourceful masterminds in front of the bench. Michigan State lost two players (Adreian Payne, Gary Harris) to the NBA and stud freshman Javon Bess to a foot injury, endured awful home-court losses to Illinois and Minnesota and a spate of dreadful foul shooting woes. Louisville won games but not admirers with its scoring issues and Pitino had to reinvent his lineup when he kicked his third-leading scorer, Chris Jones, off the team in late February.
Both have guided more talented teams. But they play on, which is what these two coaches do as well or better than almost anyone else.
“I say this not humbly, I say this honestly, there is too much made out of it,’’ Izzo said. “The assistants do a lot of the leg work. The players play the game. Maybe we’ve got a bunch of players that love March, not a coach.’’
The players come and go and Izzo and Pitino take new groups to the same place.
“We sit at a lot of AAU camps and talk a little bit,’’ Pitino said of Izzo. “We’re very similar in a lot of regards. We don’t believe in Twitter. We don’t believe in too much social media. We’re kind of old fashioned in that regard, but we’re still young at heart in a lot of different ways. So our similarities in the way we run our programs, I think, are very stark. I’m a big fan of his. Always been a big fan because he stands for the right principles in our sport, does it the right way. He really loves his players, coaches them the right way. Makes them mentally and physically tough. When they leave, they’re tough in business. They’re tough in sports. He believes in education, all the things that I admire.’’
Right back at you.
“His teams always play hard,’’ Izzo said of Pitino. “He has so much passion and energy watching from the sideline, and he’s living every shot. … I love his energy. I love his enthusiasm. I love his passion. It’s easy to see. It’s not because he wears it on his sleeve. It’s beyond that. For a guy who’s done it at different levels and different schools, I haven’t done that. That’s why I do have great respect for Rick. He’s found a way to get his team back … and we found a way to get our team back.’’
As usual.