Is Tom Izzo leaving Michigan State for the Cavs?

  • 06/09/2010 8:10 pm in

INDIANAPOLIS - APRIL 02: Head coach Tom Izzo of the Michigan State Spartans looks on during practice prior to the 2010 Final Four of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium on April 2, 2010 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)The answer to that question differs depending on who you ask. Dick Vitale says no. But The Cleveland Plain-Dealer, citing sources, published this story earlier this evening, indicating that Michigan State players believe Tom Izzo is close to accepting the Cleveland Cavaliers job. The details:

Sources have told The Plain Dealer that Michigan State players left a meeting with Tom Izzo Tuesday night believing he was going to leave to accept Gilbert’s offer to become the next Cavaliers coach. Izzo didn’t tell them that, he called the meeting to acknowledge reports that he’d been offered the job, but players left afraid they were about to lose their coach.

Several other sources, however, indicated Izzo hadn’t made his final decision as of Wednesday afternoon.

Delvon Roe’s father, Delvon Blanton, told The Lansing State Journal that the Tuesday meeting lasted two hours and Izzo explained the situation to his team. (Blanton’s comments don’t offer much evidence he believes Izzo will stay in East Lansing, either.)

This, my friends, is the problem with sources. Everybody seems to have them. But until the source of the news is Gilbert, Michigan State AD Mark Hollis or Izzo himself, you should continue to hold out hope that college basketball won’t lose one of the best in the business to the NBA. It’s possible if Izzo leaves for Cleveland that the Hoosiers could be in better position to land Muncie Central guard Jeremiah Davis, who is listing Michigan State among his top schools.

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