When a team like Toledo gets a shot at Michigan State, it's more than just another game on the calendar-it’s an opportunity, a measuring stick, and, for head coach Tod Kowalczyk, a chance he had to fight for.
“I begged Tom [Izzo] for this game,” Kowalczyk admitted after his team’s 92-69 loss in East Lansing. That kind of candid honesty tells you just how rare these matchups can be for mid-major programs.
For Michigan State, a nonconference game against a MAC opponent doesn't offer much in terms of resume-building. But for Toledo?
It’s a big-stage moment-and a chance to see how their guys stack up against one of the nation’s most respected programs.
Toledo didn’t bring their best in the first half, and Kowalczyk didn’t sugarcoat it.
“We played starry-eyed, lacked toughness,” he said. “I’m disappointed we didn’t compete like we are capable of.”
That early deficit was tough to overcome, especially with Michigan State firing on all cylinders. When the Spartans are hitting shots like they did in this one, they’re not just good-they’re borderline unguardable. And that’s exactly what Kowalczyk saw from the sideline.
“Michigan State is good, they are so good. When they make shots like they did tonight, they are hard to defend.”
While the loss stung, there were still bright spots for Toledo-none brighter than Sonny Wilson. The sophomore guard has been the subject of transfer portal speculation, but Kowalczyk made it clear where he stands.
“I’m happy for Sonny Wilson. I know the question was heading toward losing him [to the portal], and I always want the best for him.
His leadership is great. He is a team-first player.”
Wilson’s loyalty and leadership are the kind of intangibles that programs like Toledo rely on to stay competitive. And in a college basketball landscape where transfers are constant and roster continuity is rare, Kowalczyk pointed to Michigan State’s player development as a model of what stability can look like.
“It showed that Jaxon Kohler and Carson Cooper were four-year guys. They developed and stayed for a coaching staff that invested in them. That is what good teams do.”
That’s the kind of culture Tom Izzo has built in East Lansing-one where players grow within the program, where toughness is non-negotiable, and where games aren’t just won with talent, but with maturity and cohesion.
“You have to be tough when you play against Tom Izzo’s team,” Kowalczyk said. “First half, we were not tough. We were embarrassed at halftime.”
And yet, despite the lopsided score, there was deep respect from Kowalczyk for Izzo-not just for the Hall of Fame coach’s résumé, but for his willingness to schedule a game that most high-major coaches wouldn’t touch.
“We struggle to get games,” Kowalczyk explained. “High major programs will not play us, unless it is a secure guy.
Secure in their jobs, secure in themselves. Tom Izzo is a secure guy.”
It’s a telling quote, and one that speaks volumes about the current state of college basketball scheduling. Coaches at top programs often avoid these types of games-not because they fear losing, but because there’s little upside and plenty of risk.
A loss to a mid-major can damage NCAA Tournament seeding or invite unwanted scrutiny. But Izzo, like Matt Painter at Purdue and Kelvin Sampson at Houston, doesn’t shy away from competition.
They’ll take the call. They’ll play the game.
“We’ve played Purdue and Painter, Houston and Sampson. Michigan will play us, too,” Kowalczyk said.
“I have called other Big Ten teams to play, and the response I get, I cannot repeat. And most of these guys are my friends.”
That last line hits hard. It’s a reminder that in the world of college basketball, relationships matter-but so does job security. Not every coach is willing to take a perceived risk, even if it means helping out a peer or giving their team a true test.
For Toledo, the scoreboard wasn’t kind. But the experience?
Invaluable. And for Michigan State, it was another tune-up on the road to March-a chance to sharpen the edges, flex the depth, and show once again why Izzo’s program remains one of the most respected in the country.