Tom Izzo was unimpressed by Ohio State's crowd.
Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo wasn't just critical of his team following Ohio State's 80-69 blowout win over the Spartans on Thursday night – he also took some shots at the Buckeyes' gameday atmosphere.
"The way they were playing, this place should be rocking and packed.”– Tom Izzo
In his postgame press conference, Izzo said he was "disappointed" with Ohio State's attendance for Thursday night's game, saying he expected a more hostile environment.
"I would say one thing about this place: I was disappointed in their fans," Izzo said about Thursday night's gameday atmosphere. "The way they were playing, this place should be rocking and packed."
The official attendance for the game was announced at 14,951, which feels like a generous tally given the number of visibly empty seats. But even if that number is accurate, Value City Arena's official capacity is nearly 19,000, so the arena wasn't even 80 percent full.
Ohio State's recent struggles are likely at least partially to blame for the lackluster crowd. Heading into Thursday night's contest, the Buckeyes had lost back-to-back games against teams with losing records, including a 78-70 home loss to Big Ten-worst Nebraska on Tuesday.
