Michigan State’s Tom Izzo keeps chasing Coach K

Mike Krzyzewski, known mostly for winning at Duke, is going to his 12th Final Four. That’s just one short of the number of Sweet 16 appearances for Tom Izzo at Michigan State.

Izzo, who led his No. 7 seed to the East Region title and prepares to meet Duke (33-4) at Lucas Oil Stadium in the first national semifinal Saturday night (6:09 p.m. ET, TBS) before Wisconsin (35-3) takes on undefeated Kentucky (38-0), said he’ll always be tracking Coach K’s path.

“As far as Mike, I mean, it’s almost unprecedented what he’s done. It’s good to have him around because I’m always chasing,” said Izzo, who is making his seventh Final Four appearance. “Seven seems like a lot until you look at 12, then it doesn’t seem as many.”

The Spartans (27-11) lost to Duke in the 1999 Final Four, 68-62, and Izzo is just 1-8 in the matchup with Coach K including a 10-point loss in November. Izzo joked Tuesday that there is no rivalry, per se, because of the way the Devils have dominated the series. But that doesn’t make the 2015 version of the Spartans an underdog. He will not sell Saturday’s matchup that way, even if the Devils – who opened as a five-point favorite – are defined as favorites.

“One time we played them at our place after they lost to Purdue, I think, up in the Great Alaskan Shootout. Thought we could beat them. We lost by 20,” Izzo said. “If it is pressure, it sure is good pressure to know that you’ve been to that many when there’s so many great coaches that haven’t had a chance to do it. I don’t feel entitled, that’s for sure. But I don’t look at it as pressure. I look at it as a great feat to be involved with so many coaches that have been to many of them.”

Krzyzewski is now tied with legendary UCLA coach John Wooden with 12 trips to the Final Four. This team isn’t the usual sort for Duke, dominated by freshmen and led by center Jahlil Okafor, who was named CBS Sports National Player of the Year on Tuesday.

It’s the first trip to the Final Four for Duke since 2010, and the 68-year-old Krzyzewski has never had a younger roster. And perhaps not a more confident one. Justise Winslow, Tyus Jones and Okafor all started throughout the season as freshmen.

“We’ve got eight guys that can just go out there and play. This is where we thought we’d be,” Winslow said. “There was never a doubt in our mind that we could make it to the Final Four.”

There were doubts about Michigan State, which drew a middle-of-the-road seed in the tournament because of 11 losses. The Spartans also play a rugged schedule, and lost two of their key players from the 2013-14 team – point guard Gary Harris and forward Adreian Payne – to the NBA. Izzo is sure both guys would ‘give their arm’ to play in the Final Four.

But even without them, Michigan State muscled up in March as is becoming habit. The Spartans are 8-2 in March, losing 68-61 to Wisconsin and 80-69 in overtime to the Badgers 14 days later. Coach K is not surprised to see his pal in Indianapolis.

“Tom is as good as there is,” Krzyzewski said. “Not just a coach, but he’s a great guy. He’s a terrific friend. I think we have an amazing relationship. Nothing surprises me that he and his program would do. They don’t have a team; they have a program. As he develops each team, I don’t know what the timeframe of it is until that group understands what the program is about, whether it be offense, defense or just character-wise, but they’re going to keep improving because it’s a program. It’s a program of excellence.”