Post-Game Quotes: Michigan

Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo

Opening statement…
I guess it was a big win for us because the final score was not indicative of the game as we all know. We got an 11, 12-point lead and we just couldn't build on it and that's credit to them. Disappointing things in the first half and I thought we shot the ball well, that we defended pretty well and every time we got a rebound (Zavier) Simpson, who is a phenomenal at it, knocked balls loose and I think they got six, eight-points or something off of our rebounds. A three-point shot, a three-point play and a two and that was frustrating. Disappointed in a couple of my guys on that, but second half we had that lead 67-51 and I think Juwan (Howard) and I, neither one were happy with some things and I probably semi-deserved that penalty. I totally did but it wasn't for going out of the box. It was for explaining that I didn't like the call, didn't like the way I explained it so it's probably just a fight and that hurt us. It was a four-point thing so that hurt us, but Cassius (Winston) was unbelievable. His focus since he's come back, it's not all there yet. My trainer was worried before the game. We're still trying to spend a lot of time with him, trying to make sure that these big games and big moments when your families are all here. Those are times that he struggles, and he could go one of two ways and thank god he went the one way and Xavier Tillman is getting better and better and better. I think he's improving a lot like Draymond Green did his junior year. He's taking strides and he's become more comfortable with the ball, he's being more aggressive getting to the foul line 14 times, shooting the three a little better. That one was in-and-out, he would have been 2-for-3 and I thought those two guys, of course, were very efficient and then Aaron Henry got in foul trouble and that created some problems, but everybody did something. Gabe (Brown) hit some shotts, I was really happy for Rocket Watts to make a couple shots of his. He's been working hard at it while we had this break and I told him at the end, it's kind of funny how things work out when you work on them, but as far as Michigan goes we wanted to take away their three's and that's a little why, like Purdue that time, give (Jon) Teske credit he went to work on us early there. Again, I didn't like the way we covered him at times, but we made some adjustments, got a little better in the second half, but we didn't give up the wide-open threes. I feel (Zavier) Simpson, you've got to love Simpson, he plays so hard, he gets the job done and Brandon Johns Jr. from our area I thought played very well. We did a pretty good job on (Eli) Brooks and David DeJulius and I think that was one of the differences. (Franz) Wagner his one, but we did a decent job on how we had to do to win the game, I just didn't like the way we just kind of got to 11 and then we were trading buckets, but we're not going to distraught it yet. We're kind of half baked right now so we're trying to work on our game too.

On the atmosphere of the crowd…
Yeah, you know in that couple of times when they really got going and then we gave up a play, they would have raised the roof. I mean even I was sitting there saying, 'wow' and that was during the game. I can't thank the people enough. It's been a phenomenal holiday and then getting our youthful Izzone back and having them with the energy that maybe the old people had was great. I can't say enough about the crowd. I mean Jaren Jackson's mom and dad were here and they come on in after and it was just kind of a fun thing to see and do and I was appreciative of it.

On the four-game win streak against Michigan…
I don't know personally if it means anything. I've been beaten five in a row. I've probably won more than, I don't know, is four in a row the most I've won, but the one thing I'm learning about these phones in this Twitter generation, I don't think anybody cares about what happened in years past like you used to and that's what I reminded my guys of. We won three last year and we kept the chip on our shoulder and I thought the Duke game maybe we didn't keep the chip on our shoulder. That's how you grow as the season goes on. You learn from your mistakes and you try to make adjustments to do some things, but as I said I've been on both sides of this thing and I do think that our rivalry's been established six or seven years ago where it is a consistent rivalry where both teams are going to compete. I mean the final score was not even close to the game. I'll give us a ten-point win, not a twenty-point win. The final score is irrelevant in the game. The only good thing about it is it was nice to see Rocket (Watts) hit some shots because that's part of the things we're working on, but Juwan (Howard) has done a good job, a great job there and he will do a good job. And we're not going anywhere, we're not going anywhere.

On Cassius Winston's game…
He just looked more aggressive and focused. In the huddles, he was telling guys what to do. When I say he… he did a better job defensively, once in a while, he got a little tired but defensively…. I just felt like his orchestration in those huddles was something that is a coach's dream. Cash (Winston) what do you want to run, what do you think that we can run, how do you think they are playing them. He will tell X (Tillman) that if you change the angle on this, do this, do that. I think he has proved that… you know he was going to get a lot of attention today and it was one of the greater performances that this building has seen. I take my hat off to him, I really do… until tomorrow, then it is back to dog eat dog.

On how Cassius Winston is progressing…
I saw his mom and dad and they were up in our offices before the game and it is still hard to say whatever you want to say. My trainer was really concerned before the game, he said he had been working on him. That knee is still something that he gets worked on all the time. He was a little concerned about it. I think we are getting better connected as a group too. I will ask Xavier (Tillman) how is Cash (Winston). It gives me a moment to maybe call him at night and check in on him or say something to him before the game. Bump him in the huddle and walk out with him. It has really helped me become better but I don't think any of us will ever be able to appreciate what that kid has gone through and how he has handled it. Heaven forbid if someone in the audience has gone through it with a brother, sister, son, daughter, cousin whatever… it gives you some idea but I think usually until it happens to you… I can't express that to him, I can just be there to help. What I constantly watch for is when is it a bad day. When is it a bad day because there will be some bad days. I told him that he and I have got to work through the bad days and the good days he can just do what he did today. He doesn't need me.

On what a game like this means to Cassius Winston…
Good thing to ask him. I just know that you go through Christmas and New Years and Christmas and New Years are about family. Resolutions, goal setting that is what you do at Christmas and that is what you do at New Year's I should say. That family was always together and so you look up in the stands and it is void of somebody and I know he does that a lot and I think his mother is getting stronger which is helping him a lot. I felt so good for them, I really did because he did it with efficiency and he did it with class. He is a lot classier, he would have not gotten a technical. He is a lot better than I am.

On the new chapter of the rivalry…
I told my guys… I talked to them a lot at our pre-game meal. We always talk about the game and I said it is okay to dislike, it is a rivalry. I say it every year and thank god no one asked me this year so I didn't have to do it. It is a rivalry and in junior high, my rival was (Steve) Mariucci. He didn't like me and I didn't like him. Then we became best friends for life. I have got some guys that graduated from Michigan that I coached against that are very good friends of mine right now. If there is one thing I am glad about Juwan (Howard) to be very blunt and obvious with you is that John (Beilein) was so buttoned-up that I looked like a fool all the time. Now that both of us look like fools, it makes it an equal opportunity deal. I think John Beilein might have gotten one against us over the years but I don't know if it has ratcheted up any. But if my wife and his wife coached a team it would be a rivalry. That is what happens when you are 60 miles apart. The one thing I will say for me, I learned after my first five losses. You better respect your rivals or it will get the best of you. I am what… two or three and 100 against Duke but I respect my rival. That doesn't mean I change. I respect what they do and have got some really good friends… Phil Martelli is a great friend of mine on their staff and (Saddi) Washington I have known since he was five years old. I have some good friends on that staff but you can't like your rival. But you can respect your rival and I have great respect for them and I think they have respect for us and that is what makes a rivalry. North Carolina and Duke.. they are not hugging and kissing and going to church together on Sunday's. It is a rivalry and it has become one of the best. I think John Beilein said when he was here, why can't this be every bit that. I think it can be because both teams are good. I am just going to keep doing my part and two years ago I lost two in a row, now we have won some in a row and that is going to be the highs and lows of the business. If rivalries are good… at the end of the day, I remember seeing a stat on Duke and (North) Carolina… over 20 years or 30 years they are like two points difference with who scored and it is just amazing. I know one thing… you guys would be happy if it was like that because it would give you something to write about and talk about but believe it or not, when we were not any good the rivalry wasn't good and when they were not any good… it was fun to beat them but not as fun. When they are both good, it is all good.

On letting Cassius (Winston) and Xavier (Tillman) making it a player-coached team…
I was just gonna say, in my locker room and in my office ever since Mateen (Cleaves) was here, a player-coached team is better than a coach-coached team. And you know that's not lip service I believe that, I really do. Players are with each other morning, noon and night. And coaches we are lucky if we get fifteen hours a week. We're not with them morning noon and night and I think that's the important thing. Our leadership's getting better, I thought it was null and void a bit. There's two kinds of leadership, one that drags everybody together and one that demands. We're getting the drag together and at halftime I challenged a couple of those guys to demand from a couple guys. To hold them accountable, that'll be the next step of this program that the Cleaves and the Waltons and the Draymonds and the Valentines had. They had people fear them a little bit. Fear sometimes is a good thing, especially with accountability stuff. I'm going to let them do their thing, steal money and have a good time.

On freshman forward Julius Marble's performance…
You know, not bad considering it was his first real extended minutes. He's put on that scout team and it's really helped him a lot and he didn't get as many reps. But what he is, is a little stronger than those other guys. You know, we're not very big at times. Michigan is probably the biggest team we'll play because they're big inside. So is Illinois, but they're big on the perimeter and I thought that we did a pretty good job at the end we were switching five, something we just put in and it really was okay. So, we did really good things and we did some bonehead things from the players to the coach and we'll hopefully learn from that and get better.

On the progress of the team as a whole after the adversity of the beginning of the season…
A month and half ago, two months ago I thought we would be probably where we are now then and you're right. We were disjointed and we were just battling and I said then that if you can make it through something like this, sometimes it bonds a team. You know it was Mike Garland in the locker room and what did he say that Muhammed Ali always said, 'That's a bad man.' He said that about Cassius (Winston) and everybody erupted. It's like because Cassius (Winston) is so unselfish, sometimes superstars you don't appreciate because they are selfish. I've got the most unselfish superstar maybe ever, a guy who can score that many points and still be as unselfish as he is. That makes it easier on the coach and easier on the players, I mean they pull for him because they love him and they appreciate him, not because he's the best player.

On his level of satisfaction with a 4-0 start to the BIG10 regular season…
Well I'm happy. I do realize that what I've got to keep in perspective with these guys and I've warned them about it because I said everybody is coming back to school. And you know everybody will be hugging and kissing everybody and we've won three of the games at home. One of them, Northwestern, who I still think is a good win especially under the circumstances, is at the bottom of our league, so there is perspective I'm keeping to this whole deal. I'm more worried about do we keep getting better because I think we've got a long way to go still. You know, Marcus (Bingham) in that first half might as well have been, 'Here Teske, why don't you just throw a lay up in or dunk it.' Second-half he fought him m a little bit more. We have to do better because we're not as physical a team. I mean we outrebounded them decently, but we're not nearly as physical as teams I've had or think we have to be to really compete for something. You know, a couple more weeks and then things start separating. We have a tough game against Minnesota, because Minnesota has been playing awfully well, should have beat (Purdue) from what I was told out there. They've had a couple big wins and they've got a great big man. Xavier (Tillman), you know Cassius (Tillman) is special, but don't sleep on Xavier (Tillman). Xavier (Tillman) has improved a lot and when he had that bad free-throw shooting day. Today, I had pre-game meal and I come walking back from the hotel and he's walking into the gym. I said, 'What the hell are you doing here this early?' It was like you know, two hours before they were supposed to be here. And he said, 'I'm going to go shoot some free throws and watch some tape.' I said, 'Wow, kudos.' I think that's what happens, and unfortunately winning helps that but I think there's getting to be a lot more trust between players and coaches. It's something with young guys, it's part of developing it doesn't just happen. I told you the respect factor now if I'm the head coach, you're the player that means nothing. I've gotta earn mine, they've gotta earn theirs. But when you start to do it, your teams starts to grow. I think Michigan's been playing awfully well and I think they're going to be a very good team. They'll get hopefully their guy back and that will have a factor in it. You've got to give Brandon Johns Jr. credit, he played good at home today in his spot, they got almost the same amount of points. They are going to get better too and I thought the job we did on (Eli) Brooks or the fact that he didn't get many shots up was a big part. I really think his improvement has been part of why they've become a very good team. I appreciate it, see you next week.

Michigan head coach Juwan Howard

On the atmosphere at Breslin Center…
"When you play a team on the road, of course, and it being your rival, the Michigan versus Michigan State rivalry, the atmosphere is going to be electric and energized. When you go away, on the road, you expect any team that you play in the Big Ten, that their crowd is going to be into it. So it was no surprise to us."

On a personal reflection on coming back to Breslin and coaching against Izzo…
"It means a lot to play against a team in the Big Ten. Each and every game we are trying to compete. Our goal was to come in and win, unfortunately we didn't get the job done."

On what what lead up to getting a technical foul…
"I am going to back up my team for all 40 minutes. Unfortunately, that possession I had seen enough. I had seen a lot of contact being made when he was driving to the line to try to finish, he got hit on the arm, and I saw contact when one of my big men went up and tried to finish and got bumped. To me it looked like an obvious foul, unfortunately it wasn't called so I got a little beside myself. But I am an emotional guy, but I will always fight for my players."

On Michigan State being difficult to defend on fast breaks…
"They do a really good job on makes and misses, of pushing the ball up the floor. Whether it's for an early attack by Cassius, or it's for a pitch ahead for a guy like Henry or Gabe Brown for a three. Unfortunately for us, we didn't do a good job of communicating on the open man and where he was, that's why they were able to score some of those threes in transition. There is no excuses for that, we prepared for it, we just didn't do it. At the end of the day you have to do your job. I have my job, they have their job, it goes hand in hand."

On shot selection (without Isaiah Livers)…
We got some good shots, especially in the first half. There were some shots that did not fall. Unfortunately for us that has been our norm when we go on the road. The threes don't fall for us when we are on the road. We've just got to keep forging ahead, mentally stay with it and keep working, which we will. The second half there were some possessions where we attacked the basket and didn't finish, the ball did not go in, so yes, we cannot make a compound mistake. We have to sprint back in transition and prevent a layup from happening, or an open shot three.

On how Brandon Johns Jr. played and if Livers will be able to play Thursday…
Brandon Johns has been solid for us all year. He is disappointed, he would probably tell you right now that he played bad. But we love the fact that he is a guy that is all in, has the right mindset, pure as they come, and is going to do whatever he can to help the team win. Granted he makes mistakes like every player does on the floor, but with his effort and energy and attention to detail, he is always trying to do something positive. As far as Isaiah goes, we are going to see tomorrow. Continue with the treatment, Alice Wong and our medical staff are doing a tremendous job. John Sanderson doing whatever he can to keep his conditioning up and we will take a look at it on Thursday. But for right now I can't say what his prognosis is for Thursday.

On what the plan for Cassius was coming and how it broke down…
Well Cassius is a superb, phenomenal player and he does an excellent job of reading whatever defense you throw at him. He's just elite level, it's that simple. Give him credit, he's crafty and has shown it all last year. That's the reason why he was player of the year in the Big Ten. That's the reason why he is a preseason Wooden finalist, Top Fifty, they don't just hand those out. You've got to be a special player and you've got to do some phenomenal things on the floor, with the ball and without.

On if he learned anything about his team today…
I know about my team, this is no surprise to me. I've built a relationship with the team, back when I first got hired we started a little player development in June, and we've been at it since. As far as on the road and playing at home, our team is solid. In the game of basketball, unfortunately sometimes from the basketball gods, the ball doesn't bounce for you. At times you're going to have those stretches where you make mistakes on the floor, which everyone's human, I make mistakes as a coach and they make mistakes as a player. I know we are all in, we are a family, we are a close-knit group. We are not a finger-pointing group, we don't do that here, we make no excuses.

Senior guard Cassius Winston

On if improved ball movement has been helping the team succeed these past few games…
That's a big reason. I want to say it's more from our defensive end, we're checking and rebounding a lot better, which helps us get in transition and keeping guys spread out. Also on top of that, we're moving the ball. Guys are getting more confident and understanding their role, they know what they can and can't do at this level, so things are starting to mesh together well.

On his performance…
I was feeling good out there, just playing at my pace and playing in my rhythm. Everything was going right.

On if he thinks that was his best performance as a Spartan…
It's definitely up there in my top performances. Things just felt right. On defense, offense and making plays. I just tried to help my team win.

On the crowd's energy…
It was crazy. There were times where we couldn't even hear what was happening on offense or defense. They came out and showed a lot of love.

Freshman guard Rocket Watts

On Cassius' performance…
He played amazing. My favorite play of his when he hit those back-to-back threes and he just threw up the money sign, I was like "oh man!

On if he thinks that there's anything that he can take away from Winston…
Definitely, every day in practice and in games he gives me advice. He's basically giving me the game when he leaves so we can keep things going. He's like a big brother to me.

Sophomore forward Aaron Henry

On the team's dominance these past few games…
It's been coming in practice. I feel like our practices have been picking up; we're listing to what coach has been saying and we're following our game plan. We play some tough teams and there's not an easy team in the Big Ten, it's one of those things where any win is a good win, so we'll take our win.

On Cassius' performance…
He's money. His name's not Cassius, 5 or Winston, it's just money. That's his name in my phone, just Money, that's what I call him!

Junior forward Xavier Tillman

On his thoughts of the game…
Most importantly, we got a win at home. In the Big Ten, you've got to win the home games. So, we're just trying to take every chance at home and capitalize.

On the team's dominance these past few games…
We've just been taking everything really seriously. We haven't taken any opponent lightly. It's mainly because of how we started, we started I think 7-3, so we've had a lot of ground to make up. Every time we're on the court, everyone's playing aggressive.

On if he thinks that Cassius' career-high motived the team…
I actually didn't even see it till later in the game. I looked up at the jumbotron and I saw how many points he had and I was like "wow". Usually, I'll look up a few times during the game, but today I just looked at the end. He had an amazing game.

Players Mentioned

Gabe Brown

Aaron Henry

Julius Marble II

Xavier Tillman Sr.

Rocket Watts

Cassius Winston

Michigan State University Athletics