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Tom Izzo breaks silence on sexual assault questions, defends his handling

ROSEMONT, Ill. -- Michigan State coach Tom Izzo forcefully defended his handling of a series of sexual and physical assault allegations made against his players in recent years while also pushing back against media coverage of him and his program.

"The thought that I was going to hide something like what happened makes me sick," Izzo said. "The thought of that makes me sick. It's never been, it never was. That was the big complaint on me and (Mark) Dantonio and (Mark) Hollis. It was never hidden and it never will be hidden."

During an at times heated hour-long session with reporters on Thursday at Big Ten media day near Chicago, Izzo spoke at length for the first time about allegations made against him and his program, primarily in a January report from ESPN.