On February 28th, Michigan State pulled off a close win against Purdue, beating the Boilermakers 76-74 on Thursday night. The number 13 Spartans edged out the number 8 Boilermakers at Mackey Arena in West Lafayette, Indiana. Coach Tom Izzo credited a key pre-game chat for firing him up. Earlier that morning, Izzo spent 90 minutes with Purdue legend Gene Keady right before tip-off on the court named after him.
The two coaches talked shop about recruiting kids and the evolving game. Izzo, who's been at Michigan State for 30 years, often gets labeled old school. But Keady reminded him that the core of winning hasn't changed since his early days. This victory marked Michigan State's first in West Lafayette since 2014, snapping a long drought.
Veteran coaches like these two prove experience still drives success in college hoops.