Last night was supposed to be Michigan State's night.

With two returning NBA-caliber players in Adreian Payne and Gary Harris, and veteran playmakers Keith Apping and Branden Dawson, plus plenty of other contributors, the Spartans were a preseason favorite to cut down the nets in Dallas. After injuries slowed them down, they returned to the forefront of the national scene with a dominant run to the Big Ten tournament championship.

But UConn upset MSU in the Elite Eight, cutting short what many believed to be Tom Izzo's best shot at another national championship since his first one in 2000 with the likes of Mateen Cleaves.

Izzo joined Fred Heumann on Mad Dog in the Morning, and he said watching UConn win it all last night was difficult.

"This was one of those years when we thought we had a real chance to get there," Izzo said. "We had a 9-point lead in the second half of that UConn game in their home base, their home away form home at Madison Square Garden...and we couldn't quite hold on to win it.

"And then you watch them just kind of bulldoze their way through (to the NCAA championship)--it's different, but they deserved it."

Izzo said UConn was the toughest team, which is why the Huskies cut down the nets.

You can hear the full segment below, as well as Izzo's thoughts on how long coaches can keep coaching, the "Team MSU" culture in East Lansing and more.

 

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