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Michigan State HC Izzo defends calling out freshman Henry

Jamie Squire / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Things got heated between Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo and freshman forward Aaron Henry in the second half of the Spartans' 76-65 first-round win over Bradley.

During a timeout, Izzo met Henry at half court and began jawing at him. The Hall of Famer repeatedly pointed at Henry before star guard Cassius Winston stepped in to separate the two. Izzo continued to single out Henry in the player's huddle and needed to be held back by his players once again.

The timing was peculiar considering the Spartans were on a 10-0 scoring run, but Izzo was quick to defend his actions postgame.

"I get a kick out of you guys," Izzo told reporters, including WXYZ Detroit Channel 7's Brad Galli. "(You) get after somebody because you're trying to hold them accountable. I don’t know what kind of business you’re in. But I tell you what, if I was a head of a newspaper and you didn’t do your job, you’d be held accountable. That's the way it is."

Izzo wasn't pleased with Henry's effort during a defensive sequence and felt the need to address that.

"Aaron Henry - trust me - did some things that you can't do as a starter on a top-5 team at the end of your freshman year," Izzo said, according to ESPN's Adam Teicher. "They were effort-related."

Izzo holds a 602-231 record in 24 years as head coach at Michigan State. The school has made it to the Final Four seven times during his tenure and won a national championship in 2000. The 64-year-old was the AP College Coach of the Year in 1998 and is a three-time winner of the Big Ten Coach of the Year.

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