EAST LANSING - Michigan State Men's Basketball Coach Tom Izzo held his weekly press conference last Tuesday ahead of their sweet sixteen showdown with top-seeded Virginia.

Izzo was very complimentary of Virginia head Tony Bennett, who is the son of former Wisconsin coach, Dick Bennett.

"I have a great appreciation for what Tony has done. I think they are very worthy of the number one seed. I think when you win the ACC by two games, and you win both the regular season and the conference tournament, I think that bodes well for you," said Izzo.

As for the game itself, The Spartans were able to defeat the Cavaliers 61-59, despite trailing late in the game.

That win set up an Elite 8 matchup with the seven seeded Huskies of Connecticut. While the Spartans were considered favorites, they were unable to defeat UConn, falling to them 60-54.

Shabazz Napier led the way for UConn with 25 points.

That loss marked the first time a 4 year senior class had failed to reach the Final Four in the Izzo era.