After watching Michigan St. beat Virginia this afternoon, I began wondering how Tom Izzo keeps doing what he does, win consistently in March. Several obvious questions come to mind. Is Izzo really that much better coach than Matta? The players he recruits may no be as highly rated as other schools, bit they always seem to develop well through their careers. Better players or better coaching than Matta / OSU? Matta seems to be a nice guy. Izzo seems to be otherwise. Does that translate to a tougher team for MSU? MSU seems to play a much tougher out of conference schedule. How much does the better competition help players develop and prepare for tougher tests down the road?

The Buckeyes are a successful program and get good players, but something is missing.  Is Izzo the difference?