Post-Game Quotes
11/22/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 22, 2009
Recap | Box Score | Photo Gallery 
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State Head Coach Tom Izzo
Opening Statement...
It's very encouraging for a coach if a team responds to the things you felt weren't right, it also proves that they weren't right the other night. I was really pleased with our team's play today. The unselfishness, the 13 assists on 15 baskets the first half was phenomenal. I think guys were looking for one and other, Kalin didn't get antsy, and Durrell, I had to chew out to shoot, I mean those things are good things in a way, because I know he's got that in him. I think we did a lot of good things; the only negative is that we got a little sloppy in the second half and we didn't rebound the ball as well as I would have liked to, parts of that game I thought every loose ball they were getting, but maybe as big a key as any is Raymar. Raymar just does so many things, he gets three blocks, he helps out on defense when other guys screwed up, he's a calming influence in the middle of that zone and they play a pretty good zone, he was very good in there. I just thought a lot of guys rose up, Delvon again with 17 rebounds was really big, and that's what he's capable of. Draymond Green, I thought made some good drop off passes, maybe didn't rebound quite like he's been, but a lot of good stats in that, it's nice to see Chris start shooting it better, he shot a little better from the three and a little better from the line. So at least I look at tonight as a step in the right path. Valpo did not, I like their team and I like their team on film. I told Coach after that I really think there are some positives there and as he said they struggled with our zone stuff inside as far as offensively and maybe that was the difference in the game.
On getting his 340th win on the same night Jud Heathcote is being inducted into Hall of Fame...
You know I really didn't know that, I swear that to you I didn't know the exact number and somebody brought it to my attention this morning. That means I'll probably get down there and get chewed out for it. You know, records are made to be broken and this one is only tied, but I guess it means a lot to me because I proved to withstand some time challenges, but I think it will make Jud feel good in the fact that his hand picked successor is the one to at least tie his record. I have to say it isn't something that I was thinking about, but it is kind of ironic on the day that he goes into the Hall that I tie his record. Maybe that's the way it's supposed to be.
On what he'll say to Jud tonight...
It is funny, I've been listening to so many people as far as watching, I mean not listening to them, but watching these TV interviews. I was catching Lou Holtz, and maybe it was in reference to what's happening in Kansas or this or that. I think the one thing I learned from Jud, that I've learned from my dad, that I've learned from the great football guys I watch and that's that players need to be held accountable. That's maybe the biggest job that we have, it's not teaching them an X and an O or a free throw, they have to be held accountable. When you're in a huddle with 15 minutes left to go and people are talking about "let's finish the game tonight, let's make sure we don't let up defensively, let's not ruin our field goal percentage, let's try to keep building on this". That means they heard, and I think that makes a coach feel better than anything there is. Now unfortunately, it will probably have to be done again and again because that's the way it is. I learned a lot from Jud and the difference with Jud is the players weren't the only recipients of that; I was a recipient of that on many occasions. While my staff gets a little bit, but not as much as I did, I can promise you that.
On Coach Drew saying MSU is a legitimate #1 team...
I am glad that we hid the film of the last game from them, but Homer has been around a long time and you have to take a little sabbatical and come back. As I told my team in the pregame and last night, we have one day prep for a team that is very well coached, and they really are. I asked him point blank to be honest with all of you about what they're missing, because his team is really good and they haven't found their way yet. A little bit defensively maybe, but we're going to talk this week a little bit, but I do appreciate that. It was 10 years ago when we beat them to go to our national championship. They were the first team and a lot of people were reminding me of that, he reminded me of that before the game and for a guy who's done so well and been so successful on his level, I appreciate that.
On getting to where North Carolina was last year on the fast break...
I think so, I mean Kalin and Korie that are going to have to continue to push. It's Chris and Durrell that have to make some of that, and yet it's going to help now we get Ray back in there. You know, Ray can play a lot of wing and that's where I am going to start him out as, but he can play both. Even down the middle, I think if you saw Ray he was a little frustrated down the middle a couple of times, and I said "Ray, you practiced three days in the last three and a half weeks. They're not used to having a guy be in there and that's where I think you realize just how important practice is so that people can get a feel for one and other. I think that's going to be a big film area, because the drop off passes to the wing were wide open and we didn't do quite a good enough job for that. It's just that's where playing together you really get a feel for one another. For some strange reason Kalin and Korie have as good a chemistry as anyone right now and they haven't played together as much as the others, so Kalin in his own right is really starting to grow as a player, because he can play both positions and that's going to make him more versatile and more dangerous if you ask me.
On the difference in Delvon Roe the last two games...
I give the credit to his parents, his parents are demanding and I think that when you talk to Delvon, he's been going through so much emotionally and when you look at missing nine days of practice. He's not a guy that responds from that as quick and yet I think that the knee injuries, all of those things, everybody is human and sooner or later it gets you down. I think he's had a little different refocus on what is important and maybe kind of bringing those dreams and goals back out. When you're sitting there with two knee injuries its hard to do that, so like everybody we challenged him that's one of the reasons he didn't start today and when you see people respond that is a special feeling for a coach. I just think he's been more aggressive and his game is just starting to come, he's going to be hitting that shot soon and he's more comfortable at the line then he was last year. He's getting very good defensively on what he can do, and your just seeing the start of where I think Delvon can go, he's no where near the player I recruited, but I'm seeing glimpses now because that athleticism is back on where he's going to be. Him and Green work well together and Ray. Those big guys will come, it was a hard game for them. I thought in this game that Nix did a little bit better then Sherman, but Sherman has been out a couple of days with the thigh bruise so we just have to get everybody back practicing and getting those guys playing together. I think you'll see some tremendous growth.
On seeing a difference in Chris Allen...
It's funny, I thought tonight that Durrell passed up some shots and early in the game I thought Chris passed up some shots. Chris and I talked about it and maybe in high school maybe he was used to doing everything off the dribble, because nobody guarded anybody the same way, and now he's got to be ready to shoot it. I think he's becoming more ready to shoot it and guys are seeing him. The only thing I feel bad about of all the things here is to me is Kalin is giving guys enough passes and enough assists to be averaging 7 or 8, and he's only averaging 3 or 4. These guys have to make shots at the end, but they're starting to come together, and getting a feel for one and other and I think Chris is getting a little bit hungrier to know when he has a shot and I think that's been a big difference for him.
Valparaiso Head Coach Homer Drew, Cory Johnson and Howard Little
Opening comments ...
It was a bad time for playing a game at noon and a bad time to be playing the number two team in the nation. I think if they keep playing like that they have a great chance to be number one in the nation. It was a bad time to play because Coach Izzo had gotten their attention over the last game. You just didn't want to be this team on this given day playing Michigan State University. They were tremendously focused as we all can see and a very talented group. I shared with Tom that Valpo is kind of a good luck omen to them. In the year 2000, we met them in the first round of the NCAA tournament and they ended up becoming the national champions, so hopefully that will be a good luck omen for Michigan State. It was like a V8 playing a V4. Their engine ran faster and quicker than we did. We scored on one end and they scored at the other end before we could even run and get down the basketball floor. That was disappointing because we worked on trying to get back in transition. We tried to get back in 3.5 seconds because we knew they had a tremendous motor. That V8 engine just runs, runs, runs and we could never catch up with them. If we could take away their transitions points and their offensive rebounds and lane shots then we won the game. It is not a half court game and the full court game they completely dominated us inside the paint and in transition. Our two thoughts coming in were that we had to contain those and we just could not. They had the will and they imposed their will on us. They were very good basketball team. There are talented, they can shoot, they're fast, and they run. They are big and strong on the inside and they have a lot of depth. They're just a very good team to play against. And in that I thought we did some things well at times and a lot of things that we can get better on.
On shooting...
You have to credit them. Their defense is rock solid. It's hard to get easy looks on them. Their defense is very good. They are strong and physical.
On rebounding...
Cory Johnson: I felt that they were the toughest rebounding team that I have every played against since I have been playing college basketball. All the guys hit the glass real hard. They hit you and then they turn and go to get it. That's guys one through five. I give credit to them for being really good at the glass.
Howard Little: I was going after it, What they call the word is scrapping for the ball, where ever I can get it and boxing out making sure I can get a rebound or my teammates can get a rebound.
Coach Drew: Howard led us at six foot three he had six rebounds. Poor Cory had 6'8,6'9 and 6'10 guys on each side of him. What makes them so difficult is that they are well coached and they are good athletes. One of the posts players rebounds and the others start sprinting right away. You already have to pick up with size because they are all sprinting down the lane. Their perimeter people are so fast they get the ball and after the first pass is gone they are running. They have inside and they have outside and that makes for a very tough team to play against.
On three point shooting...
Howard Little: It was a bad shooting night. We will get back in the gym and start shooting the next day and get better. We have good guards that can penetrate. Guys like Brandon had a great night going to the hole and dishing out and finishing at the basket. I believe we have good guards that can actually go to the hole and finish strongly.
Coach Drew: Cory scored against 16 points against people that were four inches, 50 pounds more than him. He scored very well in fact, so we really believe that we have an inside presence. We are still young. We have seven freshman/sophomores and we are still learning how to play the game. I thought Cory did some good things, he got the ball, he got some touches and he can help other people get shots as well because he can handle the ball well for a big guy and is they clamp him or double team him he can kick it out. I think we have an inside game to go with our outside game and that's what is important for us because you cannot live every game with the three point shot
On Nick Shelton...
It was wonderful for Nick, our lone Michigan player, to get that score. It was very enjoyable. The rooting section behind our bench was very excited.
On Michigan State's ranking...
They are definitely well ranked and I think in time they will have a shot to be the number one ranked team in the nation. They don't have a weak area that you can exploit. The size inside, speed, shooting the three point shot. Both guards hit well and their bench. They play good defense which is a good trademark of Tom and his rebounding. They are definitely a legitimate number one team in my opinion.
