Fans of Michigan State basketball and Tom Izzo's coaching style love to talk about how valuable his confrontational style is to the program. Any instance of Izzo stepping over the line, even getting physical with a player, is metabolized as a necessary ingredient to success. Izzo just loves to mix it up with his guys, we're told, and loves when they mix it up with him.
It's fair to wonder how spending several developmental years around a guy who loves nothing more than screaming in a huddle might affect some of Izzo's players once they graduate. For example, the four years Paul Davis spent playing for the Spartans may have something to do with the fact that he is now the type of guy to yell nasty shit at a referee, earning himself an ejection from the arena and a public reprimand from Izzo.
Monday night's game between USC and Michigan State came to a halt late in the second half when referee Jeffrey Anderson blew his whistle and pointed out Davis in the stands. Anderson then walked over and spoke to Izzo, who yelled at Davis from across the court and signaled for him to leave the arena. Davis made an apologetic signal as he was being led away from his seat:
Odd moment in Michigan State-USC. After being consulted by the referee, it appears Tom Izzo asks former Spartan, Paul Davis, to leave his seat. pic.twitter.com/rix9qIyEnd
— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) January 6, 2026
One wonders what Davis could have possibly been so worked up about, seeing as the Spartans were leading by 21 points and there were six minutes left in the game. More importantly, what did Davis say that both Anderson and Izzo found so offensive?
Izzo, who seemed to relish the opportunity to do some coaching of a former player, addressed the incident during his postgame press conference. He insisted that Davis didn't say anything "sexual" or "racial," but conceded that Davis said something that "he should never say anywhere in the world."
"I'm gonna have to call him tomorrow and tell him what I thought if it," Izzo said. "And you know what he'll say? 'I screwed up, Coach.' So he kind of got after the official, and he was 150 percent wrong, and for a guy like me to 150 percent agree with the official, that's almost illegal."
Tom Izzo's probably going to enjoy that phone call more than the 29-point win that preceded it.
