Michigan State's Tom Izzo says 'God Bless Charles Barkley'

WASHINGTON - Some Charles Barkley comments about Tom Izzo went viral last weekend after the former Round Mound of Rebound saluted Izzo and Michigan State for advancing to the Sweet 16. On Thursday at Capital One Arena, in advance of Friday’s NCAA Tournament Regional Semifinal game against UConn, Izzo was asked about Barkley’s comments. Izzo took the opportunity to return the salute to Sir Charles. “God bless Charles,” Izzo said of the NBA Hall of Famer. Izzo was asked if he agreed with Barkley’s overall premise that portions of society are critical of tough-love coaching and that it’s a problem.  “Yeah, I definitely think it's a problem,” Izzo said. “It's so misunderstood sometimes, too. I mean, everybody says stuff differently. I had a football coach that couldn't say hello without swearing. Didn't mean he was mad at me. It was just part of his language.  “I’m Italian, I speak with my hands, sometimes my voice.” (MORE inside SpartanMag. Join SpartanMag: 50% off, and enjoy a complimentary year of The Athletic included with your membership. Get Deal Now! 👉 https://www.on3.com/teams/michigan-state-spartans/join/)