By MIKE LOPRESTI
Gannett News Service

SAN ANTONIO - The winter was long at Michigan State. Full of vexing questions and puzzling defeats, and a fiery coach trying to stop the leaks.

When Michigan State lost by 30 points at Illinois, Tom Izzo stormed out of the arena vowing to never look at the game film. He never has.

When the record dropped to 14-11 and the critics muttered something about a fading program, he tried to sleep at night reminding himself that the lineup was both young and hurt, and the schedule brutal.

When the Spartans were upset in the Big Ten tournament by Ohio State, he railed at them, saying they had embarrassed themselves and their university.

But here he was on Saturday, knocking at the door of another Final Four with a 22-12 record and No. 7 seeding.

"I'm not sure I trusted them or they trusted me," he said of a team that will play Texas for the South Regional title Sunday with three freshmen and three sophomores in its top eight. "But each party started to believe in the other."

This was Michigan State at its unpredictable greenest - losing at home to Toledo, but winning at Kentucky.

"I think I'm a better coach than I was at the beginning of the season," Izzo said. "Maybe we all grew. I'm still growing."

-

Izzo is a pacing wad of passion on the sidelines. Something of a young Christopher Plummer in his appearance, and a boiling pot of soup in his demeanor.

But his skill can't be overlooked, if anyone still does it. Not with the company he is starting to keep in the NCAA Tournament record book.

Izzo's tournament record is now 19-4. A winning percentage better than John Wooden ... Mike Krzyzewski ... Adolph Rupp. Anybody, for that matter, who has coached at least 20 games.

If Michigan State wins Sunday, it will be his fourth Final Four in five years. A feat not accomplished by Dean Smith ... Denny Crum ... Bob Knight. Nobody, for that matter, except Wooden and Krzyzewski.

In other words, Izzo is barging into the inner sanctum.

"I haven't thought about my legacy. I'm really more concerned about their legacy," he said of his players. "If they fulfill theirs, mine will take care of itself."

-

This will suggest why Sunday might turn into mud wrestling:

Both Texas and Michigan State use a rebound drill where the ball is simply thrown up among players, and the fight is on to see who gets it. No fouls, no mercy. Texas calls it Circle the Wagon. Michigan State calls it War Drill. The lawbooks call it assault.

Izzo loves it, suggesting Saturday maybe his team should do it for two hours at practice and spend 10 minutes on "the sissy stuff."

That's his way. Demand unselfish toughness, which translates to defense, rebounding, and long life in the bracket.

Michigan State has only one scorer averaging in double figures, and has needed no more to get this far.

"I have an obligation to the guys who played before, an obligation to what I believe," Izzo said. "But my biggest obligation is to these guys. My job is to hold them accountable to fulfill the dreams and goals they want to have."

Which is why the midseason doubts suddenly aimed at his program stung. What was that 2000 national title? Those three Final Four trips? Old news?

"I guess it was an eye opener," he said, "how fast things change."

"Sometimes you blame the fans, blame talk radio, blame this or that. But you know what? I want the same thing they want."

And he's back chasing them. February was cold. But Izzo is still Mr. March.