Michigan State coach Tom Izzo is one of the few men’s college basketball coaches who emphasize loyalty, player development, and relationships with his roster over depending on the transfer portal for recruitment. While he has occasionally added players from the portal to address specific needs, the Hall of Famer consistently evaluates his existing roster before making such decisions.
Izzo emerged from the court following Tuesday’s 83-66 win over Kentucky at Madison Square Garden in New York and was proud to speak about his player development success, which is anchored in loyalty to his team, counting on old reliables like Jeremy Fears Jr., before relying on transfer portal additions.
Michigan State Coach Tom Izzo Gives Credit to His Players for Prioritizing Loyalty Over Transfer Portal Deals
The 70-year-old national champion coach expressed his loyalty to his players after the No. 17 Spartans’ Champions’ Classic win over the No. 12 Wildcats, insisting that player development, achieved by retaining an almost intact roster for the next season, is better than spending a significant amount of money on the transfer portal.
“It seems to be the people that are getting the most credit, the transfer portal recruitment is almost bigger than winning games,” Izzo said. “Not at Michigan State. Some day it could hurt me. I’m going to do what I going to do. But I’m also… I don’t give up on the people I got. That’s what we call development, and that’s what you call working with players. You stick with them and they stick with you.”
Kentucky spent $22 million to assemble a competitive lineup this season, only to lose to rivals Louisville, which reportedly prepared $8-10 million during the offseason for the transfer portal, and Michigan State in successive weeks. Although it’s too early in the season, the Wildcats are drawing the fans’ ire for the changes they’ve made to their lineup.
MORE: Tom Izzo, Magic Johnson Sound Off on Jeremy Fears Jr. After His Playmaking Clinic Against Kentucky
Izzo also praised point guard Jeremy Fears Jr. for staying in Michigan State despite having rough patches in his college basketball career. He compared him to Spartans great Mateen Cleaves for keeping himself loyal to the school amid the new landscape affected by the transfer portal.
“Jeremy Fears is a good example. Just like Mateen. They were a couple of rough years because that’s what happens as you’re trying to make a boy a man and make a good player a great player,” the Spartans coach said after Fears’ performance against Kentucky. “But tonight it was fun to see some of that come to fruition.”
Fears received a medical redshirt from the NCAA in the 2023-24 season after suffering a gunshot wound to the leg in December 2023. On Tuesday night, he repaid Izzo’s trust and loyalty by finishing with eight points, six rebounds, 13 assists, and three steals as he led Michigan State to a big win over Kentucky.
This season, Fears is leading the Spartans to a strong start, averaging 10.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, 10.3 assists, and 2.3 steals per game. His playmaking helped the Big Ten school surprise two SEC teams in the first four games of the 2025-26 season.
The 6’2″point guard is making experts rethink their views about Tom Izzo’s team during the preseason and is easing the doubts they have after making the Elite Eight this past season.
