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Tom Izzo's name has become synonymous with March excellence, and at the heart of his program's sustained success lies an unwavering commitment to defensive prowess.
As his Spartans enter the 2025 NCAA Tournament as a No. 2 seed, it's clear that Izzo's defensive philosophy remains the cornerstone of Michigan State basketball — which is largely owed to his basketball defense drills.
Since taking the helm in 1995, Izzo’s teams consistently rank among the nation's best in defensive efficiency, reflecting his belief that championship-caliber basketball begins on the defensive end. This philosophy has produced remarkable consistency - eight Final Four appearances, a national championship in 2000, and a streak of NCAA Tournament appearances that has spanned decades.
Izzo's defensive system emphasizes fundamental principles: aggressive on-ball pressure, precise rotations, disciplined help defense, and most importantly, securing defensive rebounds. "Defend, rebound, run" has been his mantra, with the first two elements enabling the third. His teams are known for their physical play and mental toughness, hallmarks of the program's identity.
What separates Izzo from other defensive-minded coaches is his ability to adapt his system to his personnel while maintaining its core principles. Whether coaching teams built around dominant big men or quick, athletic guards, Izzo has consistently produced elite defensive units through meticulous preparation and relentless attention to detail.
The 2024-25 Spartans exemplify this commitment to defensive excellence. Their No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament reflects not just their offensive capabilities but their stifling defense that has frustrated opponents throughout the season. By emphasizing defensive intensity in practice and demanding accountability from every player, Izzo has once again molded a team capable of making a deep tournament run.
As Michigan State begins another tournament journey, Izzo's defensive philosophy — a philosophy that he emphasizes and sharpens on a daily basis through some of his renowned defensive drills — continues to set the program apart.
In Coach Izzo’s ‘Defensive Skills and Drills’ clinic, he explains two drills that he has used for decades not to help instill these winning defensive pillars into his teams. We have pulled two such drills and included them for your use below.
Beat the Belt Drill
One of Coach Izzo’s “favorite drills” is what he calls the beat the belt drill. It begins with the ball and a player along the wing, another ball and another player in that same side’s corner, a defensive player in the middle of the paint, and a line of players on the block opposite the wing.
The drill begins with a player from the line cutting hard up to the free throw line. Once they do this, the defensive player in the paint will defend them receiving a pass with their left hand. From there, the player on offense is going to cut toward the basket, the defender will open to the ball and defend the player on offense receiving a cut pass from the player in the corner.
Coach Izzo also noted that the defender’s feet should be parallel to the line of the ball at all times in this drill (and during games). It’s also worth reiterating that the player who’s receiving the passes is actively trying to beat the defender by receiving the passes and making a shot, which will make the drill game-like.
If the defender falls behind in the second half of the drill, Coach Izzo asserts that they should be diving out of bounds to help ensure that the second pass doesn’t reach its mark. This grittiness and tough playing style is something Coach Izzo always preaches and is shown by the way his Michigan State teams play.
Jump to the Ball Drill
One drill that Coach Izzo says that he tried to do every day with his Michigan State teams is what’s called the Jump to the Ball drill, which will start with two lines facing the basket along each wing, about halfway in between the three-point line and half court.
The front player in one line will turn around and get in a defensive stance facing the next player in line. In the other line, the front-facing player will move in between the two lines, turn around, and get in a defensive stance, as if they’re preparing to play help defense.
From there, the player on offense in one line will pass to the offensive player in the other line, prompting the two defensive players to rotate with the one in the middle moving to square up in front of their man with one hand in their face while the other rotates to the middle.
After a few reps of this, new players will come to the line and the two lines will go to two different places on the court, at various lengths away from each other. This will help players understand the amount of spacing and speed required to get in front of their man at various passes.
Coach Izzo stresses this drill because his defense is all about having solid man-to-man core principles without any pressing. He believes the most important part of having a successful man-to-man defense is not getting beat off of the dribble, and this jump to the ball drill teaches players how to get to their man on a pass while remaining in an athletic stance, which will minimize the chances of them getting blown by if the person they’re defending decides to penetrate into the paint.
The teams that you face now are usually of equal or greater caliber.
Solid offensive performances are still built around the core of what you do that has got you to this point. However, being able to strategically add an explosive play through the use of some kind of deceptive or trick can provide the spark plug you need to overcome your opponent.
Here’s Five Keys for Using Trick Plays
Know your opponent and what players on defense are quick to react to an initial key. Plan your attack here.
Decide when and where are the appropriate time to use these plays. Most of the time these plays are effective when the game is tight.
Set up the play to fit into what you do. Use looks and formations that are already part of your game plan. A formation the defense hasn’t seen sometimes causes them to play less aggressively and could be an indicator that you are doing something out of the ordinary.
Practice your plays but not too much. Give it a few team reps and over the week and that’s all. If there is a key mechanic involved with ball handling or a pass, let the players involved practice it separately.
Have fun! These plays are always fun when they work out and the players love to execute them.
There are many possibilities for the tricks you can design. Here’s three unique trick plays to get your creative juices flowing.
#1) “Tony Disco” from Shawn Liotta
Shawn Liotta has plenty of gadgets that work. This is one he let his players name and they called it “Tony Disco.” It’s a variation of Philly Special, and is great in the red zone. The Speed sweep action gets the defense flowing immediately and leaves them exposed on the opposite flank for the TD.
#2) “Razorback” by Rick Darlington
He’s known for his explosive offense, and he’s not shy about using trick plays. Coach Darlington put this play into his arsenal after seeing Gus Malzahn run it while he was at Arkansas, thus the name. Again, sweep action gets the defense moving and both the player aligned at QB and the TE on the crossing route are wide open. Coach loves this play against defenses who play man coverage.
#3) Eric Marty’s Tight End Toss Pass
Eric Marty, offensive coordinator at Grambling features another play borrowed from one of the great coaches in the game, Steve Spurrier. This is one that has fly motion, a toss to the tailback, and a throw to a tight end that delays his release. All of the action in the backfield, and the initial block of the TE allows him to get lost in the secondary even though, as Coach Marty points out, they prefer not to run it against this coverage. It works anyway. It’s another play that’s good in the red zone.
Trick plays are always an opportunity to change the game and put your team ahead.
Here’s one more resource with all-22 video of 95 trick plays if you are still looking for ideas.
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