Michigan State coach Tom Izzo wins Dean Smith Award

ST. LOUIS - Michigan State coach Tom Izzo, who was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame last month, has been selected to receive the Dean Smith Award, given annually to an individual in college basketball who embodies the spirit and values of the late North Carolina coaching great.

The U.S. Basketball Writers Association will present Izzo with the award at a Spartans' home game to be announced.

Izzo is the second person to receive the Dean Smith Award. The USBWA established the award last year and selected former Georgetown coach John Thompson as the first recipient.

The award recognizes coaches for more than just their success in basketball.

''We wanted to honor Coach Smith for the life he led and the lives he touched,'' said past USBWA president John Feinstein, who had the idea to establish the award. ''Coach Smith would be very proud to have Tom's name on the award in his honor.''