The elder Martelli made the NCAAs seven times as coach at St. Joe's. His son has reached it for the first time as coach of the Bryant Bulldogs.

Bryant men’s basketball head coach Phil Martelli Jr. was named the National Associate of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Mid-Atlantic District Coach of the Year on Tuesday. In addition, fifth-year guard Earl Timberlake was named to the Mid-Atlantic All-District Second Team.

MSU's opponent, Bryant, is coached by Phil Martelli Jr., the son of legendary college basketball coach Phil Martelli, who is also a good friend of Tom Izzo. On Sunday, after Martelli spoke on his relationship with Izzo, he talked about the Spartans team as a whole, giving a slight preview on the matchup between the Bulldogs and Spartans.