Michigan State Vs. Bucknell Postgame Quotes
11/21/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 21, 2003
Recap?|? Box Score?|? Notes?|? Photo Gallery
Bucknell vs. Michigan State November 21, 2003 Quotes
Bucknell Coach Pat Flannery
Opening Statement: "I think we were ready to play and maybe they weren't prepared for us. We get to see a lot more of them and the way they play because they are on TV. We knew they had talked a lot about trying to get up-tempo, and really wanting to run, so we tried to work hard in transition. Obviously, it didn't look like that on the (opening) tap, but I think we adjusted well and didn't panic."
"We made some shots and didn't get some bounces. Either way, not making free throws changes the flow of the game. That's not to take anything away from them. They've got some big games coming up. But when you don't make free throws, the flow of the game just gets away from you and then the kids are scared to shoot free throws. So maybe you don't go as hard to the glass, and I thought that caught up with us."
"Michigan State made the plays when they had to. I was very impressed with them. It's going to be really neat to watch them this year. Coach Izzo and the class they have is one of the teams we'll follow."
"The game really came down to making those plays and going inside."
Michigan State Coach Tom Izzo
Opening Statement: "Well, I thought that (Bucknell) missed a lot of free throws, that was evident, and we didn't play very well. I was really disappointed with how we played, but first let me be a man and say that (Bucknell) played very well. They were very patient offensively and I think that the best things that they did were defensively. They played a kind of match-up zone, half-man, half-zone. We did okay early, but then we missed some shots, we missed lay ups, they missed free throws. I thought that Chris Hill played very well, he just missed some shots that he has made all year long. We got into foul trouble early on, and that really changed the way we played. But I don't think that I coached very well and I don't think that we played very well, so I think that you should put more of the blame on me, because it is my job."
On what it will take for MSU to achieve continued success: "I think that, right now, this team needs a toughness transfusion. We just did not go after the ball like you have to go after it. The big guys started playing more timidly than they are because of the foul trouble, like Delco (Rowley) and (Paul) Davis. You know, we didn't do a lot of things very well. We didn't run very well, we didn't rebound very well and we missed some free throws. I am not as concerned with the shots that Chris (Hill) missed or (Maurice) Ager, who is just coming back so he missed some shots and we have to get through that. But it was just the way that we played that was very disappointing."
On the Spartans' upcoming game against Kansas: "I am still happy that we are playing Kansas on Tuesday. I have been going back and forth in my brain about this whole schedule and I am not only looking forward to going there, but I am looking forward to the next three days of practice before we go there, and then we can see. We are either going to play (like we did tonight) and get defeated by 40, or we are going to compete."
C Paul Davis "They stayed with us the whole game, we were only up by one at half time. We got a little scare but we fought through it and got the victory. If we come out like that Tuesday night vs. Kansas, we are not going to come out on top."
On his second half:
"I just stayed more aggressive and played smarter. I got three fouls in the first half and I just had to play stronger and be smarter on defense and offense. I've got to start off the game like I finished it. Hopefully, Tuesday I can go out and prove that."
G Chris Hill On Bucknell:
"Give them credit because they came in and didn't back down from anything. They played hard and they executed their offense and took us out of what we wanted to do. So they deserve credit."
On what MSU can take from the game:
"We didn't play like we wanted to tonight, but we did get the win. We have to put this behind us and we have to make a quick turnaround. We only have three days to prepare. Going down there (to Kansas), we are going to have to be ready."
