Michigan State vs. Youngstown State Quotes - Dec. 6, 2016
12/6/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
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Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo
Opening statement…
I think we took another step. A small step, though, in the right direction. What I was most excited about is that we really challenged Josh [Langford] and Cassius [Winston]. The last few games, the turnovers have been down; 16 assists and two turnovers with your point guards is phenomenal. Cassius' defense, Josh's defense was the difference really in the game. And of course Tum [Tum Nairn Jr.] did a terrific job as well. Santiago [Francisco] ended up going 5-15, but he's a good player and I thought we did a great job on him. I think we guarded Donlan [Matt] with a fishnet because we did a poor job on him. But other than that, we rebounded a bit better. The two negatives is that we didn't shoot well from the three. I can't believe the shots that Eron [Harris] and Matt [McQuaid] are getting and not making. They're making them in practice but not the games. We didn't get to the line much, but that is from the way that they played. When Kenny [Goins] got in foul trouble, we played guards at the four and that wasn't very healthy, yet we had to do what we had to do. Kenny did not play very well. We just have to get a little more out of that position. I started a different lineup the second half and I think it helped some. Yet, Nick [Ward] still has to be able to play more than three-four minutes a stretch, that'll still be the emphasis the next few weeks is to get his tail in better shape. And the same with Josh. I thought he did some great things but got tired at times. When you have 28 assists on 34 baskets, you have to feel good about your team. When you outrebound the other team by 15, and not turn it over a ton you think there's more goods than bad.
On Cassius Winston's poised play…
Cassius looked comfortable on the offensive end and I looked comfortable when he was on the defensive end. That's what really made the day. I just thought he did some really good things tonight. I was very impressed with him. Him and Tum are playing so well together that I get to play them together some. I would agree with you though; he did look comfortable out there tonight. I think what he is doing is just figuring it out. He did get slowed down a bit, but honestly, he played harder defensively than I've seen him play and that's encouraging.
On the importance of getting more practice time in as of late…
Practice means a lot to all of them to be honest with you, maybe more valuable to the freshmen of course. But even the upperclassmen because you know, I'm seeing a little more comfort and understanding from a lot of them. Nick, who I wasn't happy with because I didn't think he had the same effort going 1-6 at the line, still goes on to almost have a double-double. So somewhere in there you'll find a silver lining. All those freshmen - Cassius, Josh - more practice time will only help. The problem is that we have to get our sophomore and senior guys going. Practice time is going to help everybody and luckily we've had a little more of it, but we have a lot more to do before we feel like we're accomplishing anything. Practicing for two days doesn't accomplish much, but we are making practice. You have to take a day off, like tomorrow, so the NCAA is happy, but then we have two days of prep before Saturday. It's good. It's going to help every time we get the chance to work on us and work on our opponent. Some of the coverages did a better job at times. The one thing I noticed is that as a team, I don't think we're in great shape. I sit there and say, 'How could you be in shape when you aren't practicing.' So, that's another area I feel like is not their fault, but we have to overcome it. I just feel like some guys are looking tired out there.
On Cassius facilitating play inside and outside the paint…
I think it's really important for us because not many of our posts can do what Nick can do and Cassius is getting the ball in there. Cassius can get in there and so can Tum, but Tum has yet to make the good decisions that Cassius has been making. We really have some guys with open shots and it's a shame that his nine assists should have been 10, 11 or 12. I told Cassius when he came out that you better get on your boys because that's how you make your heat is with those assists. But, he is feeling more comfortable. He has been better being comfortable offensively the last few games. If he makes that stride defensively it changes a lot of things.
On Matt Van Dyk leading in the team in rebounds…
I'm just trying to figure out if that is good news or bad news. Matt did do a good job on that but didn't cover as well. But wow, did we put that kid in a tough position. Especially when Kenny got in foul trouble and Kyle [Ahrens] was struggling a little bit, which is the guy we have to get playing and guarding a little bit better. So no, I can't say it was not in my summer, 'laying at the beach looking at my iPad' thought process at all. But shazam, it happened.
On the wing position improvement from last game…
Yes, a step…a baby step. When you go 4-12, 10-26, and then 4-15 from the three - that's part of their job. Defense was okay. When I have two freshmen playing better than a sophomore and a senior that is not too settling for me right now, we are going to keep hammering away and I'm not giving in to any of them right now. We have a lot of work to do and we're going to work.
One time, Matt took a bad shot; just one time. Three other times he passed up what were open shots and he ended up throwing to Tum. You're right, one bad shot in the Izzo evaluation out of 26 is a positive. They got 14 and then 12, they pushed the ball better up and down the court. No one will ever lose a minute of playing time if they make one or two bad shots out of 26. But yes, Cassius and Josh looked better at those spots looking for shots. It's encouraging.
On Josh Langford's leg injury…
He's not playing in any pain. None. None that I know of. You guys can ask him. He is not in good shape. I don't think he's in any pain right now. There's nothing wrong with his leg. He really didn't do anything for the three weeks that he was out and he didn't do as much for the four weeks that we were traveling. he wasn't getting any work in. You go six or seven weeks and you're just not in good shape. He is laboring when he runs, but it's not the injury this time.
On comparing Cassius Winston to Mateen Cleaves…
Mateen has got to get down here a little bit more now because Cassius is getting better, but the leadership thing is something that we are going to keep hammering on him because if he does get that, he's going to be a hell of a player. I think he is a very good player right now, but I think he needs a little more intensity and a little more leadership ability, but he took a big step tonight. I challenged him a couple huddles. I asked him if he could go out there and play good defense? Could he lead the team? One time they went zone and [Cassius] made a call and I thought they were in man and they made a different call and he yelled at me so it was kind of good. I kind of enjoy that stuff personally. That would help. There were a lot of great leaders here, but there were two guys that, boy, if somebody beats guys like Magic [Johnson] and Mateen, then I will definitely give them that, but that isn't happening in a year I can tell you that. Mateen Cleaves was one of the greatest leaders I have ever been around.
On Mateen Cleaves' court case…
Well you bet a million bucks that I talked to him about that. Right from practice, to be honest with you. I found out and that was one thing.
On Josh Langford's shooting tonight…
One good game. I mean, yeah I'm going to try to get him some more shots, but I have to try to get him more playing time and I have to get him in better shape. As I told my staff on the bench, the minute you hang your hat on something - Nick [Ward] was playing so good and he played okay tonight. The stats are better than he played. We have to keep hammering away, but in our society, one good game and one good play - we're ready to canonize guys as the best leaders, the best shooters, the best this and the best that. We have a long, long way to go. That's an okay basketball team and I think they are very well coached. They run some nice stuff. We have such a long way to go. What I'd like to do is get us in a rotation. Now I know that I have Josh coming off of the bench. The second half I didn't have him coming off of the bench and that could happen too. He's got to play within himself and he's got to run better as you guys alluded to, he's going to be out there. He's got to rebound a little better. I don't know how many he got tonight, but those are the kind of stats that if he's going to be any kind of great player, he's got to improve those enormously because he has the talent to do it and it's not that he's loafing, I just don't think he's in the shape to do it.
On the team adjusting better without Miles Bridges…
I don't know if they did, but I didn't. I can't stand talking to him on the bench. It's one of the worst things I've done, but Miles was great on the bench. He was saying, 'hey coach they're not jumping to the ball,' and I asked him in the locker room I said, 'Miles, tell the guys what you were telling me all night long,' and he said, 'well, you guys weren't jumping to the ball a couple of times.' So I called him a wimp because he didn't call them out. He is learning, but a little more comfortable, I don't know. The three and four spot of wherever we play him, we were very solid there tonight and I think the other guys did a decent job, but those guys have a lot of work to do in the next three, four, five, six days.
On Miles benefiting from sitting on the bench…
I think you always look for a silver lining through a dark cloud and I think there are some. Miles and I were talking about it before the game and if guys get better, they can give you ten minutes a game, and that's better. I don't think it's going to help us from a standpoint in that this would have been a good time for Miles to be getting more practice time and better, but of all the people that will probably be able to adjust to it faster, we're going to get him in the best shape he can be. He will be on the bike and in the pool. He will be swimming like a fish. We will be doing whatever we need to do to get him in shape because we have to make sure that that's one thing we won't lose. Other than that I do think that Miles is learning on the bench and that's what is kind of cool. I told him that's what I have to give him. I told him that I can't help him become a better player physically, but I can help you become a better player mentally in this period. He's bought into that, hook, line, and sinker. It will help us. I'm not going to sit here and tell you it's as much fun - I kind of like watching him play personally.
Well guys we are just going to keep on trying to move forward. We did make some progress. Youngstown I think will be a pretty good basketball team, especially when they get everybody back. I like the progress we made tonight. I think if I looked at all of the things I liked and I told my team this, when you get after somebody on something that they did poorly and then they respond, that is a big step in itself. I thought we had a couple young guys who responded tonight and I'm proud and happy for them and yet we keep chopping away.
Youngstown State head coach Jerry Slocum
On his team's performance …
We obviously didn't shoot the ball very well, but give them a lot of credit. I thought that we did a really good job defensively. Turnovers led to a lot of easy baskets for them. Obviously, we're without our leading scorer, and it showed out there tonight. We just don't have that third guy.
On how playing without their leader affected the gameplan …
Well, it doesn't affect what you want to do, it does affect the ball going into the basket. He's a special offensive player. We didn't hit enough shots, though. They're very good defensively.
On what he expected coming into this game …
Well, in their building without our best scorer, I had hoped that we could get to 65 or 70 points. We just didn't have enough, and they had a lot.
On his perception of this MSU team …
They are who they are. They're one of Coach Izzo's teams. They're going to play hard, they're going to defend hard, and they're going to actually keep to their offense.
Michigan State sophomore guard Matt McQuaid
On the progress made in tonight's game...
We were taking better shots. We were building our offense a lot better. We just needed some more passion and energy on the defensive end, and it got us going. We got up to a 19-4 lead, had a little lapse, but we just had to get the ball and get back, take good shots. Like I said, we just had a little more passion and energy on the defensive end.
On how to maintain an early lead...
We just have to get the mindset to continue to do the things that we do. I think that people get tired and they get mentally fatigued and they forget the things that we do. We just need to stick to our basic principles when we get tired and keep pounding.
On the flow of the game...
We did a good job responding tonight. We hit a couple threes. They hit a couple threes. We need to do a better job on defense, not giving up those easy buckets and put the game away a little earlier. They were a good team and they were hitting some deep threes and some tough shots.
On the effectiveness of extra practice time...
It's helped out a lot. It's helped our defense, especially getting back to our fundamentals, getting back to what we do, playing with energy, playing with passion. It gives us time to work on all those things.
Michigan State freshman guard Josh Langford
On the flow of the game...
We just moved the ball really well tonight. Before the game, we came in and said we were going to give it all we had. The last game was kind of a letdown, even though we won, so we just wanted to come in and put the pressure on them, pressure on the defense, and pressure on the offense as well.
On the early lead...
Everybody contributed. I feel like we did a great job getting everyone involved. I think we had 28 assists on 34 baskets. Everybody was getting each other the ball and we did really well as a team.
On his personal comfort level with the team...
I feel very comfortable out there. My teammates did a great job of finding me. The bigs did a great job of setting screens and I just gave it all I had.
On the additional practice time...
It's helped us tremendously because with more reps comes better comfortability on the court. So, practice makes perfect with this. We know what to do and were able to get in the film room and learn what to do.
On where his success is coming from...
It's just coming from my teammates feeding me the ball. Like I said, the bigs set great screens and the coaches made great calls to get me the ball.
Michigan State redshirt senior Matt Van Dyk
On the early start...
Yeah, we came out with a lot of energy. That was the emphasis in the pregame talk. We knew we had to come out. Coming off a close win, we knew we had to make a statement early. So, we came out hard, hitting shots, getting defensive stops, getting big rebounds. Then we started to relax, and like what always happens, they went on a little bit of a run, actually a big run. Then we ended up stopping them after that run, and started playing better basketball.
On the team effort...
We were hitting on all cylinders in the beginning. Every guy was playing his part. Every guy was hitting his shot. Nobody was playing selfish. Point guards were hitting guys with open shots, bigs were setting good screens, kicking it out to guards with open shots, people were penetrating, crashing the boards. We were just hitting on all cylinders and got off to a great start.
On how to build on early leads...
We just have to play more consistent. We showed that we can do some great things, we just need to keep that consistency going. To do that, probably more communication. Guys like me, when were on the bench, need to pick up guys when they're on the court. We got to keep the rotation going and keep the energy going.
