Wow, I'm just blown away that Izzo's Spartans choked AGAIN against Roy's Tar Heel.
That's 0-7 -- and I don't think any of them were particularly close. UNC whipped MSU 87-71 in the 2005 national semifinals; 81-67 in the NCAA second round in 2007;89-72 in the 2009 national title game; 98-63 in the 2008 ACC/BIG TEN Challenge ... there was also the aircraft carrier game to open the 2011-12 season and last night's game. The closest I can find is an 89-82 UNC win in the 2009 Challenge (and that was the year UNC went to the NIT).
Izzo is almost as bad against K and Duke. He's 1-7 against K ... he lost to Duke in the 1998 Great Eight in Chicago, in the 1999 NCAA semifinals in Tampa; in the 2003 and 2004 challenges (the first one in East Lansing); the 2010 challenge (one of Kyrie's eight great games);in the 2011 Champions Classic in New York (the one where K passed Knight on the win list); and in last year's Sweet 16 in Indianapolis. Izzo's one win came in the 2005 Sweet 16 in Austin , Tex.
Izzo is a great coach with a great postseason record, but he's been owned by K and his teams always roll over and play dead for UNC.
** Interesting note: Izzo and Michigan State were also in the Final Four with Duke in 2001 and 2010, but lost in the opposite semifinals both years and didn't get to play Duke. Pretty sure UNC and MSU were scheduled to meet in the 2006 NCAA Tournament, but both fell victim to George Mason and didn't get to meet.