| | By Andy Katz
ESPN.com
If Cincinnati's Bob Huggins and/or St. John's Mike Jarvis get an offer to coach in the NBA, they should listen to Tom Izzo's news conference Saturday and think twice before bolting.
|  | | Tom Izzo has chosen to pursue more national titles at Michigan State. |
Izzo stared at the enormous sum of money (estimated at $15 million over five years) from the Atlanta Hawks, then said no to the NBA and yes to Michigan State.
Izzo will still receive nearly a $1 million a year from the
Spartans, but he opted for the security, and even the comfort, of college
basketball over the unstable world of the NBA.
No one should fault Izzo for nearly taking the offer. Had Izzo
accepted the offer, it would be hard to chastise him. Few individuals get a
chance to set up their family, and perhaps their grandchildren, for the rest
of their lives.
But Izzo's choice to stay with the Spartans spoke volumes about his character, Michigan State's program and maybe even the stability of college basketball.
"It shows how special a person Tom is," said Michigan State assistant coach Stan Heath, who is in a similar no-brainer situation by going through with an interview for the Ball State job Monday.
"This shows how special Michigan State is to Tom," Heath said.
Izzo would have received the attention this spring from the NBA,
even if the Spartans had not beaten Florida for the national title in April
in Indianapolis. Izzo has become one of the most respected coaches in
Division I for his creative approaches to motivation, as well as his ability
to recruit and develop a versatile team that has made two straight Final Four appearances.
Izzo did what underclassmen haven't been able to recently -- turn the NBA down.
"It says something about the college atmosphere," Heath said. "He's saying that maybe it's not that bad. Maybe they'll listen."
Probably not. But the coaches might.
Huggins said he received a call from the Los Angeles Clippers but wasn't interested. If Indiana were to come calling, Huggins would possibly leave to coach the Pacers. Jarvis could entertain leaving for the Washington Wizards, New Jersey Nets or Hawks if they were to call.
Izzo said he saw the chance to build a dynasty at Michigan State. He
has tradition after two Final Fours and can continue to be a dominant player
in the Big Ten and nationally with a top five recruiting class. Marcus Taylor can step in and replace Mateen Cleaves.
If Zach Randolph is eligible, he'll be an immediate impact inside scorer for the Spartans. Heath said Randolph took a standardized test last week and is awaiting the results to become eligible. He said Randolph won't declare for the NBA draft.
Izzo spoke about his special group of players, their loyalty and
commitment to him and the school.
Huggins and Jarvis have both had a similar
connection with their players. But if they leave, they could become another
Jerry Tarkanian, P.J. Carlesimo, John Calipari and Rick Pitino -- college
coaches who got paid but never really performed in the NBA.
Weekly chatter
Syracuse guard Tony Bland is back in California and is choosing among San Diego State, USC, and returning back to the Orangemen.
Memphis quietly scooped up the last big-name recruit when forward John Grice (Shelby State, Tenn.) signed with the Tigers.
Kentucky lost Darius Rice to Miami and may not get back signee Michael Southall after he was arrested Wednesday in Wisconsin.
Kansas' lone recruit will likely be 6-foot-6 Bryant Nash from Turner High in Carrolltown, Texas.
Remember Korleone Young, the high school senior who was
drafted by Detroit in the second round of the '98 draft? Young played in the
IBL in Richmond this past season, but he's trying to get into the Chicago
pre-draft camp to get more looks from NBA teams. Young is hoping that the
NBA will allow him into the camp in the same way it took in CBA players
a few years ago.
UCLA has lost JaRon Rush, Jerome Moiso and now Jason
Kapono. The Bruins are trying to sign France's Tony Parker, a 6-2 guard, and
6-9 Jair Veldhuis and 6-3 Bryan Defares from the Netherlands. The pair played at
Division 4 California state champion Tamalpais in Marin County. Jair was
being pursued by Villanova, while Defares is considered a sleeper.
The Bruins won't have the same high-profile talent of the past few seasons, but they should be a scrappy bunch. But UCLA will enter the season as a team that needs to reach the NIT. Finishing in the top four in the Pac-10 may be impossible.
No word from Providence, where Friars coach Tim Welsh won't know for another week if he'll get five returning players back next season after they were involved in an off-campus assault.
Mark Price wasn't retained by Georgia Tech, but he did stay in Atlanta, hooking on at Whitefiled Christian Academy.
Former New Mexico center R.T. Guinn will transfer to Baylor
and join Dave Bliss, who recruited Guinn to the Lobos. Baylor won't take
former Lobo Kevin Henry. He has only one season left of eligibility and may
end up at North Texas.
Andy Katz is a senior writer at ESPN.com | |
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