This should not be a surprise. Since purchasing the Phoenix Suns, former Michigan State walk-on player Mat Ishbia has leaned hard into his contacts and experience from his Spartan days — and after a rough last season, he went even harder in that direction.

Which is why nobody should be shocked that Ishbia made a run at legendary Michigan State coach Tom Izzo during his coaching search last summer, something Izzo discussed on the Dan Patrick Show Wednesday. Izzo, 71, chose to stay in Lansing with the Spartans.

"I've had more than a couple of job offers in the NBA, and looked at one last year with Phoenix. You know my former player, Mat Ishbia, and that was hard. That was a hard thing to turn down because No. 1, I kind of wanted to go with him..."

Patrick interrupted to ask if Izzo was offered the job, he said they "talked seriously" about it. Then coach returned to his rant.

"And then No. 2, I have been pretty vocal about it, I don't like what's going on in college athletics," Izzo continued with his original thought. "But by the way, neither do 99.98% of the football and basketball coaches in America. And I think the kids are going to still find out before it is done that it isn't best for them either."

Ishbia played for Izzo from 1999 to 2002.

Phoenix ended up making a great hire, a former Michigan State grad assistant and then Cleveland Cavaliers assistant Jordan Ott, who has helped turn the culture around for the Suns. Phoenix is 42-34 — much better than preseason projections and already six wins better than the Kevin Durant/Bradley Beal team of a season ago. Phoenix is headed to the postseason, and Ott is going to end up on some Coach of the Year ballots.

Izzo has flirted with the NBA in the past, most famously in 2010 with the Cleveland Cavaliers. However, Izzo could read the tea leaves like the rest of us, knew LeBron James was likely on his way out the door (as a free agent) and decided not to take the job.