Izzo: Media doesn't promote Big Ten enough

Thanks to Melo Trimble's game-winner Saturday, Michigan State blew a chance to all but clinch an NCAA tournament bid at Maryland.

While most people still have the Spartans in the tournament, head coach Tom Izzo was asked after the game if his team deserved a spot in the field of 68. He suggested his program's chances may be hurt because the Big Ten is underpromoted as a conference.

"I blame all you guys (the media)," Izzo said, according to Brendan F. Quinn of MLive.com. "I'm going to blame everybody in this room. We have not done a good job of promoting the Big Ten."

While it's true that the Big Ten hasn't received as much attention as the Big 12, ACC, or Pac-12 this season, that's likely because there doesn't seem to be an elite team in the conference. Purdue's wrapped up the Big Ten regular-season title, but is ranked just 16th in the country.

The ACC features five teams in the top 20, while the Pac-12 has three inside the top seven. Even the lowly WCC has more top-20 teams than the Big Ten thanks to Gonzaga and Saint Mary's.

"Virginia loses a game and it's because everybody else is good," Izzo said, using the 23rd-ranked Cavaliers as an example. "The (Pac-12)? (Bill) Walton is out there (saying) it's the champion's conference. Nobody talks about our conference. That's our fault. That's your fault. That's my fault."

The Spartans have made 19 consecutive trips to the NCAA tournament under Izzo, and the legendary coach thinks his team should make that 20 this year thanks to a strong schedule.

"I've heard nothing about the schedule we played," Izzo said. "We played three No. 1 teams. We're 10-8 (in the Big Ten)."

While Michigan State may not need a deep run at next week's conference tournament to make the field of 68, it would certainly help calm the nerves of the Spartans faithful.