Michigan State 67, Ohio State 58
1/6/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 6, 2009
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MICHIGAN STATE MEN'S BASKETBALL
Michigan State vs. Ohio State Post-Game Quotes
Jan. 6, 2009
Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo
Opening Statement...
It was kind of a strange game. I think both coaches would agree it wasn't the prettiest game. I know we looked tired and we played tired. We've gone 13 straight days and I just felt like a lot of guys looked tired. At times we did a very good job early on and then the start of the second half we played really well. We lost focus a lot. I didn't think we got enough out of our key players. Raymar [Morgan] started out good and then filtered down, and then Goran [Suton] just looked really tired. Some of those guys are our best free throw shooters, but we got Delvon [Roe] to make some. We still rebounded pretty well and we did the things we wanted to do as far as making [Evan] Turner earn his points. Give [William] Buford a lot of credit. I thought we did a great job on [Jon] Diebler and Turner, but Buford had a big game and [B. J.] Mullens went a little crazy late. We found a way to win and that's the name of the game but I'm not sure we took a step forward today as far as getting better. Yet we did have some performances - Kalin [Lucas] did a nice job, Korie [Lucious] came in and did a good job. We had our moments of having some guys play really well, they just didn't look very quick tonight and I think it was more out of fatigue.
On what he did during an 18-3 run by the Spartans in the first half...
We tried to run more. We were supposed to be pushing it the whole game. That is what I would call a slow break, we just didn't get out and get after it. We wanted to attack the middle of the court more, so we started ball screening it right about that time. We started making some shots and then they made some adjustments; it was kind of a game of adjustments. I just didn't think we had much zip. I give them credit - we made some runs that maybe would've almost put them away in the second half and they bounced back.
On Korie Lucious...
We talked last night and said we have to give him more minutes. He can shoot the ball against the zone. I thought he came in and was energized. I like that we played him and Kalin [Lucas] together, and they had some zip. Kalin was one guy that had some zip and I thought that helped us. He made some pretty good plays and passes. When he was open, he was looking for his shot.
On if the 3-point shooting helped mask other problems in the game...
We have been shooting the ball better from the three, and we're taking about enough shots. I don't know if it covers up for a lot of things because I was disappointed. We talked about pulling up, pulling up, pulling up and we just wanted to keep taking it in there so they could block shots. They blocked some good ones and then there were some ridiculous plays on our part. We talked about it before the game and at halftime. I thought we had some great opportunities to pull up and we just kept taking it all the way and getting it stamped on our head. The second half we started kicking out a little and that's when we hit some open three's. I thought we screened that zone a little bit, got some open three's and a little penetration, but we did not attack it with any real zip.
On going from a conference game to a non-conference game on Saturday with Kansas...
I look at it as a game's a game. I don't look at it as conference or non-conference. You play a team like Kansas - that's a storied program and that's what our fans want and I want. It will be the 13th out of (the last) 14 National Champions to visit Breslin Center, so that says a lot. They are playing a lot better. I know one thing, if we're not ready to run in that game, we're going to get run right out of the gym because they do get up and down, their very athletic and they have size. They also have a great point guard in Sherron Collins.
Ohio State head coach Thad Matta
On MSU's scoring stretch late in the first half...
They got in the rhythm there. They did a great job spacing and making extra passes. We got caught standing and not flowing through that stretch. Give them credit; they knocked down five straight three-point baskets which was huge for them.
On his team's defense...
We did better. We are still a step slow in certain areas and we need to get better. There were a couple things they did tonight that we knew they were going to do. They made some shots on us and we had to live with that. I thought it was a little better tonight than it had been.
On MSU being a step slow...
I think that we were a step slow as well. We have been kind of on that same stretch with days off and (Tom Izzo) is right, it does take its toll on you. They have been on the road coming home for two and this is our second road game. Somewhere we have to find it within us to get the job done.
On it being a moral victory by keeping the score close...
Honestly, the moral victories, I have never been a huge fan of them. We had it there at 55-48 and couldn't make the plays we needed to cut it. Coming out of halftime we wanted to chip away at it. I will say I thought we did some things better tonight and made some plays, but we need the consistency. That has to be a standard. We show that we are a young basketball team. We can play solid basketball and then it disappears and then we can play again. We need to get these guys to understand that the 40-minute flow is huge for us.
On Buford Williams...
I thought he did a better job. The big thing with Williams is getting him to come to grips with things. His defense is better. Shot preparation, finally is important. When you get the opportunity you have to be ready to knock it down and that is something he is getting better at.
