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Michigan State’s Tom Izzo to receive Wayman Tisdale Humanitarian Award

Tom Izzo

Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo will be the recipient of the 2013 Wayman Tisdale Humanitarian Award, set to be presented to him at 2013 Devon Energy College Basketball Awards on April 15 in Oklahoma City.

The Wayman Tisdale Humanitarian Award is presented annually to a member of the college basketball community who “has made a significant positive impact on society,” according to a release. The award is named after former Oklahoma star Wayman Tisdale, who passed away after a battle with cancer in 2009.

Television analyst and former coach Dick Vitale received the award in 2011 and Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski was given the award last season.

Izzo has achieved an 80 percent graduation rate among players who have completed their eligibility at Michigan State, and has also been active in a number of causes, including Coaches Vs. Cancer, Volunteers of America, Sparrow Hospital, and the V Foundation for Cancer Research.

“Few coaches in collegiate athletics have endured and excelled like Tom Izzo,” David Gillikin, 2012 chairman of the Wayman Tisdale Freshman of the Year Award Advisory Board, said in a statement.

“His record of achieving the highest levels of success on the court together with his focus and success in graduating his players and positively impacting the community make him the ideal selection and adds another very significant name to the growing list of Tisdale Humanitarian honorees.”

Izzo and Michigan State are 14-3 so far in the 2012-13 season and are ranked No. 18 in the country.

Daniel Martin is a writer and editor at JohnnyJungle.com, covering St. John’s. You can find him on Twitter:@DanielJMartin_