TOLEDO, Ohio — Hall of Fame Michigan State University basketball coach Tom Izzo will serve as the keynote speaker for Toledo's annual Rocket Roundball Social on Wednesday, Oct. 18 from 6:00-8:00 p.m. on the main floor in Savage Arena. University of Toledo President Gregory Postel is hosting the event and all proceeds will go directly to the Toledo Men's Basketball Progress Fund.

      "I'm awfully pleased and excited to announce that Tom Izzo is going to be our speaker at our annual Rocket Roundball Social," said Kowalczyk, who has been named Mid-American Conference Coach of the Year in two of the last three seasons. "We have sold out the event for the last 10 years, and the money we have raised has impacted our program significantly. Coach Izzo will do an unbelievable job entertaining everyone in attendance. He's a Hall of Fame Coach and in my mind is the best coach in college basketball."
 
Now in his 29th year, Izzo was elected into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2016. He has compiled an impressive list of accomplishments, including the 2000 NCAA National Championship, 10 regular-season Big Ten Championships, six Big Ten Tournament titles, eight Final Four appearances, eight National Coach of the Year awards and a Big Ten-record 24 straight NCAA Tournament appearances. 

      The Rocket Roundball Social, which is an event that has grown into a Toledo Basketball tradition, offers individuals the opportunity to meet Dr. Postel, Head Coach Tod Kowalczyk, his staff and players while enjoying food from some of Toledo's finest restaurants.

      A silent and live auction will be held during the evening, the items available for purchase include a "Roadtrip with the Rockets", 24 suite tickets for a Rocket home game, and more.

     Corporate tables can be purchased for $1,500. A limited number of individual tickets are available for $150 each.

      Payments can be made via cash, credit card or check. Checks should be made payable to the UT Foundation. Please reserve your tickets by Friday, Oct. 13 by contacting Assistant Coach Jordan Lauf at jordan.lauf@utoledo.edu or (419) 530-4796.