Crowd, teammates go wild as son of legendary MSU basketball coach Tom Izzo scores first points in 43 games

Fans at the Breslin Center on the campus of Michigan State University had much to celebrate on Sunday afternoon. Not only did their men's basketball team secure a much-needed win over a scrappy conference opponent, but Steven Izzo, the son of legendary head coach Tom Izzo, finally scored his first career points after dozens of game appearances.

Steven Izzo, a graduate student now playing in his fifth season at MSU, has always been a fan favorite. Though just 5'8", the only son of Tom and Lupe Izzo joined the team as a walk-on when he was a freshman in 2019. Since then, he has appeared in 43 games, almost always in the final minutes when the Spartans' victory is all but assured.

Every time Steven gets some playing time at the Breslin, fans in attendance rise to their feet and teammates feed him the ball, hoping that he will finally be able to put points up of his own. While he often dribbles about and makes a solid effort, his short stature and the talents of his opponents always seem to thwart his shot attempts.

Until Sunday.

With about a minute to play and the Spartans up by nearly 20 points, Steven Izzo trotted onto the court to give it his all once again. This time, he hit pay dirt — in remarkable fashion. After receiving a pass from sophomore guard Tre Holloman, Steven Izzo dribbled around Rutgers guard Austin Williams and tossed a Hail Mary shot that bounced around the rim and ultimately dropped through the net for two points.

As the crowd roared with excitement, Izzo's teammates cleared the bench and swooped him up in their arms in celebration. Williams was also called for a foul on the shot, so after relishing the moment with fans and friends, Steven Izzo went to the free throw line for one more shot.

He made that one count too.

Check out the heartwarming video below:

The Spartans began the season as a top-five favorite but quickly dropped out of the rankings after a series of losses in the non-conference. At now 10-7 overall on the season and a disappointing 2-4 in the Big Ten conference, the Spartans could not afford to drop this home game against the Scarlet Knights, who, though at the bottom of the conference, shot well for much of the game. Though lead changes were frequent for the first 25 minutes or so, the Spartans eventually took over, thanks in large part to fifth-year forward Malik Hall, who put up 15 points and six rebounds.

MSU next hosts the Golden Gophers of Minnesota (12-4) on Thursday. Rutgers returns home to Piscataway, New Jersey, to host the Nebraska Cornhuskers (13-4) on Wednesday.

Coach Tom Izzo, who has been at the helm at MSU for nearly 30 years and who has already been inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, has a national title and eight Final Four appearances to his name. Should his Spartans continue to struggle in conference, his streak of 25 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances — technically the longest in the country now that Kansas' vacated 2018 season erased its tournament appearance that year — might be in jeopardy.

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