Michigan State University Athletics
Big Ten Championships Quotes: Friday
3/2/2018 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
Michigan State head coach Roger Chandler
On what it's like to host the 2018 Big Ten Wrestling Championships…
I think it's an excellent opportunity for us to feature Michigan State to the Big Ten, the great facilities that we have here and also show the best wrestling in the country to the state of Michigan.
On what he's looking to see from his wrestlers this weekend…
It's just focusing on themselves. Less is more. Just refining the things that they've been working all year. All the training's been done and it's just about getting their minds right and their bodies right for competition tomorrow.
On his message to his wrestlers for the tournament…
The message is stay true to yourself. All ten guys have their own individual strengths and they've got to believe in those things and they have to look to score points in each of their positions where they're strong. We've seen all the top teams in the country this year, including in the Big Ten, so nothing's going to change from the approach standpoint.
On what he wants fans to know about Michigan State wrestling…
The biggest thing is we're a young and building program and some of these guys just stepped on campus four or five months ago, six months ago. We're coming up and these guys are going to go out there and battle tomorrow, and that's all we could ask of our guys.
Iowa head coach Tom Brands
On those wrestling for the first time at Big Ten Championships...
I think everybody has their first experience with post-season competition at this level. The one thing that you can hang your hat on if you're one those guys is you've been getting ready for big events in this sport for a long, long time, whether it was state level, regional level or regional-national level. We've just got to be ready to go one match at time. I don't really put a lot in experience because your first time in the lineup or as a freshman, you're going to have that first time experience regardless. We've all had it.
I think of a guy like Spencer Lee who has accolades that certainly eclipse a qualifier. Big Ten is qualifying tournament. It's a big tournament. It's an important tournament, but he's won world championships. But, this is the next step in all these guys' careers regardless of if it's the first time or the last time or the second time or the third time. (Brandon) Sorensen, it's his last chance and you know, you said five guys, it's their first chance, so regardless of where you're at, it's important.
Michigan head coach Joe McFarland
On if the team has a good mindset going into Big Ten Championships…
Yeah, no question. I've made a few comments regarding that. Their energy level has been really good. They've been peppy all week. I know there's been a number of individual guys who have mentioned how excited they are about these upcoming season-ending tournaments, so there's no question. I think our whole coaching staff feels the same way, that these guys are excited.
On the leadership from the seniors…
I think we've had great leadership from (Domenic Abounader and Adam Coon) all season in that regard, even the focus at the end of the year. I think our focus was really good throughout the month of February, but it just seems like the guys are really dialed in to season-ending tournaments and as a coach, I don't know if I've ever had a team that I've felt more comfortable in that regard.
On the steady progression of focus from his team…
No question about it. I think we've worked through a few bumps and bruises earlier in the season. I think everybody's healthy now. Our lineup was set in the month of February, and so I think we've had a lot of traction going into the Big Tens and Nationals.
On the team being healthy after a stretch of injuries…
Yeah, I think that's just the nature of our sport, though. It's such a physical sport that you're going to go through those. I think every team does. Being able to manage those things and training around them at times and making sure that everything is coming together late season is important, and it seems to be falling together for us right now so that's a good sign.
Ohio State head coach Tom Ryan
On preparing for the Big Ten tournament…
I think preparing for this tournament starts the day after the NCAAs, so this is the long suffering I call it. It's an annual preparation, and you really circle two weekends, and you circle others, but these are the two, this one and really the NCAAs, so preparation begins immediately right after the Nationals. It's a long preparation and then for this, there are some training things we do differently, and you hope that student-athlete gets the sense of a little bit different training the weeks leading up to this rather than the mass volume you do before.
So, we do some training differently and we give them the sense that there's a greater sense of value, because there's always value but they can just tell, and we really focus on gratitude, you know, that thank God you're healthy at this time of year. Just really try to enjoy the gift that it is to be involved in an organization like Ohio State, to be involved in this sport and just try to smile through it, and that's a challenge because it's so important to them. It's a life's work and they want to win really badly so you try to take that element, well of course you want to win badly, but enjoy it. You're going to be an old man someday on your death bed and you don't want to think that every opportunity you ever had to experience some joy, you were stressed in those times, so a lot of mindset stuff.
On wrestling in the Big Ten conference…
Absolutely, I think the best of the best wrestle in college, and then I've said it before, the best of the best of the best come to the Big Ten. There's a lot of pride in this conference and would we take an actual title over a Big Ten title? Sure, but we want both. This is a great event, and this is a special year for us. We've got three seniors that have been, between the three of them, they've been in the finals every year. So, they are nine-time finalists between the three of them. They're great leaders, they care about the team, they pick people up, they extended their hand to their teammates, and I think they want to win and I think the guys that have felt the love they have for them, the rest of the team, so there's a bit of wrestling for each other as well.
On winding down on the season…
I work hard at practicing what I preach and it's not easy, because this morning when I woke up, you know, you focus on how bad you want to win as a coach. There's a pride piece and we're always fighting to be the best team, and you can be that and also experience joy. I think that it's growth, I don't think it's natural. You know, I think in a lot of things we do we're always looking for the next things just as humans, particularly type-A personalities which run rampant in this sport. It's always what can I do better, when can I get to the next thing, and the next thing, and the next thing and just being able to enjoy it for what it is. I'm praying that I enjoy it, you know, that's my number one thing. If these are the last times for three guys that have meant a lot to me and a meant a lot to our program, the last time they'll represent Ohio State at the Big Tens, one more weekend, to just really enjoy watching them compete and do what they love. It takes a lot of focus to think that way, so I think the only way to think that way is to focus.
Penn State head coach Cael Sanderson
On what has made this Penn State team unique…
I think just the group of individuals that make up the team are all just real special, just great people, just very tough. Very consistent. I think regular season has gone well. We've had a lot of big matches, always do, and they're always the same kids every time. I think that speaks volumes of their character. When I go up and down the lineup and I just think of all the individuals, I mean they're all just good people. The people that you want to compete with in whatever adventure you're going on, these are the guys you want to go on that adventure and that's what we're doing.
On what he believes the biggest misconception is about Penn State wrestling…
I don't know, I don't know what people think or don't think about our program. We're just trying to be the best team that we can be, and as a staff we're trying to continue to improve as we move along. I don't know what the biggest misconception would be.
On what characteristics he looks for in a guy's readiness to use him right away as a true freshman…
A couple things, but I think ultimately you're just figuring out whether he's ready or not. I mean, it's just mindset-wise; Are they physically mature enough to compete at the next level? I think a lot of the time kids are still growing, they've gotten close to their peak to where they're not getting beat on strength alone. I mean, little things that you have to look at. More than anything it's them being on board and I think probably buying into it and being willing to think about the team before their own individual career. That might be the tougher piece because redshirt year, you're probably going to get better right, a year in a college room. But sometimes as a team you need those guys to step up, even if they feel they could use a year to improve. So it's just more than anything, I think it's character and team-player.
