EAST LANSING – These were the obvious lures for Thomas Kelley, David Thomas and Austin Thornton: returning to a place of youthful glory, devoting days to the game they love, learning from a wise mentor and contributing to one of college basketball’s most successful programs.
But turning the tables on coach Tom Izzo is one of the added bonuses of rejoining him at Michigan State.
“It’s interesting, because (Thomas) and Kelley are sitting there saying, ‘God, Coach, you’re soft,’ ” Izzo said of two men who were players in his early days. “You know, ‘God, Coach, the war drill sucks.