Tom Izzo and Nick Ward say newfound trust has improved relationship

ROSEMONT, Ill. -- The first year of the Tom Izzo-Nick Ward relationship in 2016-17 brought mixed reviews.

"The first year it was pretty good," Izzo said.

"My freshman year we had a rocky relationship," Ward said.

Year two in 2017-18 brought a consensus that things didn't go great, and a moment at Rutgers when Ward was benched in the second half and some animosity spilled into public view.

"Last year it wasn't very good," Izzo said of the relationship.

"Sophomore year we had our ups and downs," Ward agreed.

Now, Izzo and Ward move on to year three of their oft-analyzed relationship, as Ward enters his third season as the Spartans' starting center in 2018-19.

And after an offseason that saw Ward…