After Michigan State basketball was knocked out in the second round of the NCAA tournament by North Carolina last year, Hall of Fame coach Tom Izzo made a promise.
It seemed to be a promise to himself more than anything.
"I'm getting back to a deeper run in this tournament, or I'm going to die trying," Izzo said in the immediate aftermath of the Spartans' 85-69 loss to the Tar Heels.
At the time, it seemed like a bit of a longshot, at least for the 2024-25 season.
The Spartans came into the 2023-24 season as a top-5 ranked team in the country, but disappointed from nearly start to finish.