EAST LANSING -- Antonio Smith insists he hasn't given up the pro dreams, but he is returning to Michigan State to complete his degree and serve as a student assistant.
"I really encouraged him to come back and get his degree," coach Tom Izzo said. "Either here or somewhere else, we'll get him a job. He's destined to be a very, very good coach."
Smith, 30, helped pave the way for Michigan State's success with his tenacity during Izzo's first four years as coach, including a trip to the 1999 Final Four.
"He's the guy who started this whole thing," Izzo said. "Even though the (Mateen) Cleaves recruiting class gets the most credit, Antonio probably dragged everybody here.
"He's truly the blue-collar guy. I love having him around the guys."
Antonio Smith was never the best player on the team, but the guy brought an intensity to the floor that rubbed off on everyone else. He made everyone play a little tougher. Smith is the guy who helped talk all the other Flintstones into coming to MSU in the first place. It's safe to say that the last decade would've been a lot different for our basketball team if Antonio Smith had never come to East Lansing. So you can understand why I'm so excited that he's coming back to help out as a student assistant. As you may recall, that's how Tom Izzo got started at Michigan State.
Smith played in Italy last season, but is coming off his third ankle surgery last summer. He practiced with the team Monday and will begin classes in January.
He plans to finish his teaching degree by the fall.
"It's a time in my life where I have to do it," Smith said. "I have to buckle down and get back to school work."
Izzo is hoping Smith's toughness wears off on his players.
"As a coach, you can't grab guys, you can't verbally abuse them," said Izzo, who then snapped his fingers. " 'Hey, Tone.'
"That will work wonders."
All those final four teams were a blast to watch, but I still think the most surprising and exciting team that Tom Izzo put together was the squad that went to the Sweet Sixteen in 1998. No one expected us to do that well in the tournament, and it was our best showing in about seven years. Those guys really laid the groundwork for our final four appearances in 1999, 2000, and 2001.
This year's team reminds me of that 1998 squad in a lot of ways, and I think Antonio Smith is the perfect guy to take us back to the old-school, hard-nosed kind of basketball that brought us all this success in the first place. Welcome home, Tone!
P.S. There's more in this AP story.