Michigan State University Athletics
Post-Game Quotes vs. Purdue
1/8/2021 10:11:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Opening Statement...
One of the more disappointing losses we've had. They did the things they needed to do in the second half. The turnovers, we had 10 of them in the second half, and that really hurt; never got into a rhythm.
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Our defense was phenomenal. Hold a team to 33 percent (shooting) and 12 (percent) from the 3 and lose. We didn't rebound it very well. We have a rule here that the day of every game we work on free-throw cut outs. Now, I think the guy was over our back – I'm anxious to see the film – but I said they cost people games all the time, and that one cost us one. I thought we called the timeout (up 54-52), we told them to, and I thought people were over Rocket's (Watts) back, but we didn't deserve to win. They deserve to win because they made winning plays and we missed…we had three great free-throw shooters in Aaron (Henry), Joey (Hauser) and Rocket (Watts), and each missed the second end of a two shot.
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I think you gotta give a lot of credit to Trevion Williams. I love the kid, plays hard, keeps his mouth shut, plays well against Michigan and Michigan State, deservedly so. He was the difference in the game.
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To guard the 3-point line like we did, to do the things we did, and not win, that's what happens when you turn the ball over, you never get into a rhythm offensively. And you gotta give their defense credit to, so, disappointing loss, but we're playing harder and I'm going to find something positive in it, not a lot though.
On Marcus Bingham and Mady Sissoko's defense on Purdue's Trevion Williams, particularly in the first half...
Well, they were moving so much, and we had some struggles with those guys on some things, and what we didn't want to do was give up a three, because we didn't think they could keep beating us with the two. So I don't know, hindsight, I'll look at the film and figure it out but, a week ago you guys would've asked what the hell Bingham was doing in the game, so I did what I did and it all falls on me, so blame me for it.
On the defense playing good but about the stretch of about 12 minutes without a field goal in the second half and not able to get much of a rhythm, and besides missing shots, what was Purdue doing to cause that...
The turnovers, of the 10 turnovers, I think eight of them were in that 10-minute span, so we didn't even get any shots, we only took 41 shots for the game, and I thought their defense was part of it, but we turned it over traveling, and we made some foolish turnovers, but I don't know, I've got to watch the film before I say things I don't really understand and know, I don't know, maybe their defense was even better than I thought, and I thought we took a couple of bad shots. They (Purdue's defense) get you out-of-control, and I thought we did that a little bit, but I don't know, get to the line and make some of those big free throws late, box out once and we still win the game. It's always been like this, it was a football game on hardwood, it's been that way for 30-some years, and they made the big plays at the end. A couple of loose balls, we said if the ball goes on the floor we were going to get a timeout, we didn't get it. I don't know until I watch the film.
On the rarity that a team gets three possessions in a 19-20 second stretch there at the end and what happened the last 20 seconds of game...
Well, they got an offensive rebound, that was one, and then we had the ball out and I don't know, I couldn't see it, maybe you guys might have seen replays of whether they knocked it out of Rocket's hand, it looked to me like they were over his back, I couldn't see it, so I don't know, I didn't like to call it all. And then, they get it in and... you know Aaron, on that one foul, he had the ball almost and it's just that the basketball gods weren't with us, and there's a couple of those things that were an inch either way, and it went the other way, and you've got to give them credit, and you've got to give Trevion credit, he came up with a lot of those when we didn't come up with them. So I don't even know what happened, I know Rocket's play, I know the missed free throw, I know them getting it out and getting it out again, I just don't know, I don't know.
On Michigan State's values on display with the solidarity at the beginning of the game and solidarity circle, with the logistics of that...
First, before the game, I was so sickened by the ridiculous events in Washington, D.C., and I talked to my team, and I made the decision, I just said, maybe a bunch of 20-year-olds can teach a bunch of adults, that two teams... and I talked to (Purdue head coach) Matt (Painter) about it, that have gone head-to-head for the 30 years that I've been here, hate each other during the game but respect each other. I feel sad that our country is so screwed up, that these poor kids, what have they got to look forward to? Was that fair what happened there? Was it handled the same way it would have been happened if there were different circumstances? I thought no. And so I said to Matt 'hey let's go out there and show the old people, that these young people need role models, they need to look at something and understand it.' And I think if Michigan State and Purdue can battle with respect, maybe one day the Democrats and Republicans and whatever other people are out there, can start doing what's best for our country instead of doing what's best for themselves. Tonight I thought both teams did what's best for college basketball in our country, and not selfishly for themselves. So, hats off to the 20-year-olds. When I talked to my team about it, they were 100% for it, when Matt talked to his team about it, they were 100% for it. So, we lost a tough game and I really don't want to talk about this, but I do think we blame kids for changing, it's the adults that change, the adults that do the things that have been done, and so maybe we better look in the mirror and quit blaming the young people and start blaming us, because it's us that can control some of those things, and that's the only thing we did today, we just felt bad for people doing the disruptive things they did, and our 20-year-olds and my own kids have to watch that and think that's normal, that's the way our country is? So that was the only reason for that.
On team's resiliency at the end, and being close or does more work need to be done with that mental toughness and resiliency at the end of the game...
We didn't bounce back real good, I mean we did get back up to a six-, seven-point lead I think, and they made some plays and we just didn't make plays. I don't have any blame for anybody. I thought for the most part, we can't play much harder than we played, but playing hard is only part of the job, you've got to play hard, you've got to play good, you've got to play smart and turnovers have been a problem in the last two games, I knew with Purdue's defense, the way they come at you, but our turnovers weren't caused by their defense as much as they were caused by, I think, just some foolish plays, so we'll look at that and see if we can correct it.
Graduate guard Joshua Langford
On what caused the offensive struggles in the second half…
I'll have to watch the film to answer the question as correct as possible. You know, just because, in the course of the game and you don't necessarily know -Â I can speak on something that may not necessarily have happened. All I can really say is that I feel like we got good looks for the most part, and the shots just didn't go in. I think, like you said, we defended well. Give credit to Purdue; they fought to the end. That is what we have to expect in the Big Ten. Every night is going to be a fight for 40 minutes, and so that's what happened.
On how the team bounces back after having 17 points and losing…
It's challenging, of course. But, you know, you have to learn, go back and watch the film, get the insight and wisdom that we can pull from it and keep moving forward. There is no need to hang our hands; Â it's still early in the season. And I believe we have a great basketball team; we can do a lot of on high-level things. Â So we should have to stay encouraged man there's no need to put our heads down, but like I said the loss does hurt, especially losing like that. It's tough. And like you said we had to lead but at the end of the day, man. We just have to learn and just keep moving forward.
On the strategy of defending on the perimeter and defending Trevion Williams at the end…
I think we defended the 3 really well. And if I'm being honest with you, I think we followed our game plan to the tee. Williams is unbelievable player, so you have to expect for him to get some type of some type of shots up and get some offense going. The biggest thing we wanted to do was try to contain them. I feel like we follow that strategy. Well, I mean it just ended up in their favor.
On what happened after the Rocket Watts getting called out of bounds at the end of the game…
I remember that played, specifically. I think it was kind of an iffy play, but the ref - I feel like they did a great job tonight, so I can't really call that play out. You can't say that we lost the game because of that one play. I think it was a culmination of things. And at the end of the day, man I, I feel like we did the best we could do, and Purdue they played well. They played hard, and so we just have to watch the film and we just learn.
On how if this is a game you learn from getting closer to tournament time…
Oh yeah, most definitely I think every game prepares you for the tournament, especially a game like this. When it's the tournament, it's win or go home. And so I think, having games like this really prepares you to feel out that intensity, and that urgency that's gonna be in those games. Regardless of whether they're fans in the stands or not, is still going to be intense. It's still going to have to have a sense of urgency. And you really saw that tonight, so, I think, I think we can definitely learn from this game and it prepares for the future.
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