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Two of a kind Spartans' Izzo, Cleaves a matched pair
Posted: Tuesday May 02, 2000 03:17 PM
By Josie Karp, CNNSI.com INDIANAPOLIS -- The foundation for Michigan State's national championship was built on a slip of paper. Five years ago departing head coach Jud Heathcote left a note for Tom Izzo. It said, "Get Mateen Cleaves." "A guy like myself, I fell in love with him," Cleaves said of his coach. "You could tell he was a very hard worker and he really meant what he said. When you get recruited a lot of coaches tell you a lot of things and you can just tell he was coming from the heart and was sincere about what he was saying and that's why I came to Michigan State. Call it a plan, an idea or a dream, Izzo recalls the pitch he made to his all-American point guard. "I remember when I recruited Mateen I told him that someday we'll be on national TV and you'll be highlighted and I remember we played at Wisconsin. It was on national TV his first year and they kind of highlighted him. That's where the program as far as my era started." Each individual would go to great lengths to support the other. That was evident in Cleaves decision to return for his senior season. And in Izzo's decision to deride Florida guard Teddy Dupay during Monday's game for the foul that started the play that hobbled the Spartans star player. "It doesn't surprise me," answered Cleaves. "Coach, he covers my back on and off the court. You know, and we got a very special relationship." It's a relationships that has not gone unnoticed by other members of the team. "They're very close," said forward Andre Hutson. "They both have similar characteristics. They both tough players and coach Izzo believes a lot in Mateen and Mateen believes a lot in coach Izzo too." "I see two guys who kind of go at it every day in practice," added forward Adam Ballinger. "They each have their own opinions and they all kind of come together and agree in the end. It's kind of two guys that are probably the most competitive guys that I've ever seen coming together."
The title game marked the end of Cleaves and Izzo's on-court association. But what they've built together, back to back final four appearances, one championship, and high expectations, might be strong enough to survive their separation. "We won three big 10 titles. We won the national title. And we've been in the NCAA tournament for the last three years and I think that says a lot about us," said another forward A.J. Granger. "I think that people are going to have to come in here. I think it's going to help the university and I think we are going to be one of the elite teams now." That's an assessment you'll also hear from one of the program's most famous alumni who helped the Spartans win their first and last national title in 1979. "This program will be back," said Magic Johnson who attended the title game wearing a Michigan State sweatshirt. "Now we're like Duke, we're like North Carolina, where we'll be back in the hunt each and every year."
If the Spartans can do that, Izzo and Cleaves will have accomplished something even Magic could not. It took Michigan State six years to get back to the NCAA tournament after his departure. Even though Cleaves is leaving, two starters he helped lure return from this team. They'll be joined by two McDonalds's all-American recruits. "To establish yourself you do have to get here a couple times or get here at first and kind of move on from that," said Ballinger. "We get here, we get better recruits. We're on a national stage. We've just got to keep the ball rolling from this." Keeping the ball and this program rolling toward the post-season is what the players hope they can build upon from this latest title run. "Once you get that kind of reputation and build those kind of expectations you know your program is taking a step in the right direction," says Mike Chappell, a Spartan forward. "I think that's what coach Izzo really wants to build. He wants to develop tradition of winning and to be a top 25-team every year."
Izzo and his players have already talked about holding regular reunions, like the one that former Spartans greats Magic Johnson and Steve Smith participated in this weekend. If the foundation Izzo and Cleaves built endures, the suggested five year interval might not work. They might be drawn back much more frequently.
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