Tom Izzo celebrates Trey Fort for sticking it out despite ‘miserable year’

Michigan State basketball rose as one of the first to punch its ticket into the Sweet 16 Saturday. The Spartans earned an emotional 77-69 win over Louisville in their latest March Madness win. Trey Fort ended up earning his roses from Tom Izzo after the game.

Izzo became emotional too in praising the way Fort stuck it out amid his struggles.

“This is tear-jerking for me. Trey’s had a miserable year from what he was expected and what we were expecting,” Izzo said during the postgame presser. “And instead of quitting, he’s stuck with it.”

Michigan State HC Tom Izzo reflects on the growth from his team after reaching the Sweet 16. @MSU_Basketball pic.twitter.com/a1nE9595Xk

— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) March 21, 2026

Fort dropped 12 points in 19 minutes of action. It adds to what’s been quite a college basketball journey for him.

Trey Fort’s journey to Michigan State before March Madness 2026

Fort’s career never started in East Lansing.

Tennessee-Martin became stop No. 1 back in the 2020-21 season. But Fort eventually left and dipped to the junior college level for the next two seasons.

He didn’t stay at one JUCO either; starting at Copiah-Lincoln College in Wesson, Miss., before landing with Howard College in Big Spring, Tex. He bloomed at the latter university by earning National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) All-American second team honors after averaging 24.9 points per game.

The 6-foot-4 guard landed at Mississippi State and then Samford next in that order. Fort experienced the National Invitational Tournament at the latter by becoming the Bulldogs’ leading scorer. But he eventually gave the Power Four realm one more try.

Fort still struggled with gaining a scoring footing. He entered the NCAA Tournament only producing three games of surpassing double figures. But Saturday became his first 12-point game since Feb. 4 against Minnesota. Now he gets to taste the round of 16 for the first time ever in his long CBB journey.

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