TULSA, Okla. -- Tom Izzo and Tom Crean go way back.
Crean and Izzo worked together at Michigan State in 1989-90 when Izzo was an assistant for Jud Heathcote and Crean worked as a graduate assistant.
Izzo brought Crean back to Michigan State in 1995 to be a part of his first coaching staff with the Spartans and, together, the two partnered to build what would eventually become MSU's 2000 national title team.
So Izzo's reaction to the news that Crean was fired after nine seasons as the head coach at Indiana on Thursday was understandable.