Post-Game Quotes
3/8/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
March 8, 2009
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Michigan State Head Coach Tom Izzo
Opening comments...
I always tell our players senior day is a memory maker and this was an incredible memory maker. I looked at the game and I knew it was going to be a very difficult game to play. The first half I thought we were very average defensively. We were making some shots, but it still wasn't a very pretty half. At halftime, we said defense had to get better and it did. I thought Travis Walton was unbelievable on the ball, and that made a big difference in the game. Kalin Lucas was a little sick and I caught him over by the garbage can and he also sprained his hand. It was the perfect ending to a good season that has been one thing after another all season. You could see again how important Raymar Morgan is, as he made a couple of huge plays. We made our mistakes and we turned it over too much, but that's against a good team. All in all, I thought we made plays when we had to make plays. I can't tell you how happy I am for our team and our fans, and how appreciative I am they all stuck around.
On Travis Walton...
I thought today he brought it to another level. He was getting into it defensively out there in almost guarding two guys. At halftime, he gave more of the speech than I did. Late in the game, on that back door play by Kalin Lucas, it was all Travis. It was so reminiscent of my great teams from before. I always say a player-coach team is a lot better than a coach-coach team. So that was Spartan basketball, where the players started to tell me what they thought would work. That's an enjoyable way to go.Walton is the only guy I know that can not score a lot of points and be a difference-maker in a game. He was a difference-maker in the locker room this time and I think that was a big key to the game.
On the team's overall defensive play...
We were leaving big gaps open, which is not what we do, and they were taking advantage of it. We really stressed that we had to put pressure on the ball and get more help off the ball. Our defense the last six or seven games, whether the percentage was great or not, we've been really good. We were upset we were only up five rebounds at halftime. It was definitely the player's commitment at halftime that was bigger than any speech I could give.
On the team's changes from the beginning of the year...
We still do enough things that make us shake our heads every once in a while. I think Raymar Morgan is definitely coming. He's still not fully conditioned yet. I think this week will be a good week because we're off of school and can get some things done hopefully. Once this week is over, you're playing one-and-done from here on out. We need to get a lot of work done. I got some questions answered, but it seems like we get one guy playing well and then one guy doesn't play as well. Chris Allen didn't play much because he's been sick as a dog for three days. So now I don't think anybody can get sick the rest of the year no matter what.
On the banner-raising ceremony...
When they shipped the trophy to Illinois and Indiana, I shipped it back. When they shipped the shirts and hats to Illinois and Indiana, I shipped them back. I'd never do anything on anybody else's court or in their locker room. I wanted to share it with our people. I can't tell you how appreciative I am that everybody stayed. The players deserved that and I think that's just about as awesome of a setting as I've ever been a part of. I'm thrilled to maybe start a new tradition here. The players really liked it and that's really what's important.
On the significance of senior day...
I felt like the players that are underclassmen now have something they can look forward to that is special. Maybe that will help them work and act differently.
On the Big Ten Tournament...
I am looking forward to it. I guess I'm a little nervous about it because when you go in as a one seed, it's your own tournament. I've gone in there before as the one seed and lost and I've gone in there as a lower seed and won. You prepare very hard for that first game and then you just see how hard you can work.
On the team's maturity...
They have to keep growing. I still look out there and see a lot of freshmen and sophomores at times. This is my dream now, we get four or five days without school. We should get some rest, but do a lot of video work. We have to keep growing. We are not a finished project, and that's easy to see. We do have enough moving parts. This team could make a run as good as any other.
Purdue Head Coach Matt Painter
On the second half...
I thought Michigan State just did a good job of turning up their intensity. They were very good in the half-court. We thought that in the first half Michigan State did some very good things defensively in the half court. We were able to get into transition and that really helped us; we were able to get some put-backs. Michigan State is a good defensive team and when we did get open looks we didn't knock them down. They made it difficult for us to get open looks, but we did get some and we didn't finish them. When you have a drought like that scoring, you have to be able to rebound the ball. I thought we did a good job of defending Michigan State initially; we just couldn't get any rebounds. When you get outrebounded by 18 and you allow second-chance opportunities you're going to have a tough time winning.
On Purdue's offense...
I'm real concerned about the offense. Anytime you struggle to score the basketball you need to re-evaluate. I just think we need to continue to do the same things, we just need to do them better, be more efficient, and get a good balance of inside and outside. There's no doubt there's a concern when you have difficulty shooting the ball.
On Purdue's effort...
We've got it to a degree. You have to be able to go rebound the basketball. You can't reach, and you can't lunge. When the ball is loose you've got to dive on it. I thought at times during the second half Michigan State was just quicker to the ball, physically stronger than us, and they made those plays. Those opportunities right there gave them more cracks at it and I think that was the difference.
On Kalin Lucas...
Kalin Lucas is a very good player. He's very shifty and he's good with the basketball. We wanted to get into him and make him use a lot of energy. We forced him into six turnovers tonight, which I thought was key for a guy that does a lot of handling the basketball. He's the Big Ten Player of the Year. We were able to handle him the first time, but this time he got the better of us.
On Robbie Hummel...
He's getting some good looks at the basket, they just aren't falling. Anytime like that, when you've got someone like Rob, you just encourage him to keep taking as many good shots as they can. You just have to keep plugging. He had the flu the other day, and he battled through that. He missed practice on Friday.
On heading into the postseason...
It's disappointing, to be honest with you. We wanted to win the Big Ten Championship and we didn't. Hats off to Michigan State, they battled. They were 8-1 on the road, and they deserved it with their toughness. Winning road games won the championship for them. Our goal was to win the Big Ten and we didn't. Hopefully we can use that as motivation in Indianapolis.
