Post-Game Quotes vs. Nebraska

Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo:

Opening statement…
You have 22 turnovers, and at one point, the fouls/free throws were 24 to 5, starting to wonder a little bit, on some other parts of this game. We had different guys that played pretty good. I thought Josh (Langford) played really good. I thought Aaron (Henry) played OK. Actually, Rocket (Watts) was playing real good until we got into the turnover thing, but some other guys, Foster (Loyer) made some nice passes…we just didn't play as well as I think we could. I was very impressed with Gabe Brown coming off (the bench) and getting seven rebounds in that short period of time, making a couple of shots. I think you can see why we missed Gabe a lot. But, having one or two practices, so…as I said, in the last 28 or 29 days, I think we've had, tomorrow and Monday will be the first back to back full practices we've had in most of that time, so hopefully we can start moving forward now.

Although we have everybody back, but as you probably saw, during the first half, Thomas Kithier left the game. He told the athletic trainer he wasn't feeling well. He was immediately removed from the court, evaluated, placed in isolation, (as a) precautionary measure…He tested negative this morning, he'll be in isolation overnight, he's undergoing a PCR test. Our people did a great job; Nebraska was notified immediately, officials were notified, administrators were notified, standby official was notified. I think the only guy that wasn't notified was me, which was fine, but…so I don't know what that will bring. It's been an amazing month, but we'll try and figure that out.

On Gabe Brown's return, and how missing time can affect players…
It's a very good point. Gabe and Josh are two of my 'live, eat and sleep it' guys. Gabe was in here for an hour and a half this morning watching tape just to get caught up; I absolutely love the kid. He gave us something, he brought some energy, but couldn't go for long periods of time, as I'm sure you can understand.

As I talked to Fred (Hoiberg) after the game, you just don't know what the COVID thing does bring. It affects everybody so differently. I think in general, sometimes you can get fired up. I thought they were very excited to play, which we were at Rutgers, and then by the second half, you know, some things happen and you don't, and I don't know their full protocol on what they went through, or how many guys had it. I'm not aware of that. I know Fred did, I know one of his assistants did. I know they went through hell. I thought he did a hell of a job coaching his team. They really, like the NBA, they really worked on mismatches, they got us to switch and do some things, but if you don't have 22 turnovers, it's a completely different game. So that can't be all blamed on COVID, but what it can be blamed on, Josh and Gabe and Mady (Sissoko), they aren't in the practices every day, so you got new people practicing, and on a team sport, we struggled to put everything together. And still at times, you know, we had a 16-point lead, at times we really moved the ball well, we made a couple of nice shots, but those turnovers, I think they just started depleting our energy, as they do. I probably should be happy to have 22 turnovers and still win a game.

On the play of Rocket Watts…
He played very well until he started turning the ball over. I mean he made a couple of shots, made a three, got some rebounds, had some really nice assists, and his defense was very nice. I've got one guy that can guard people, I have one guy that doesn't and I've got one guy that's in between. But, I thought there were some foolish turnovers, he just took the ball a little bit out of control and those reps he needs, you're not going to get those during the season. But we're just going to keep working.

I did not feel we were ready to play today. I don't know if we took for granted that they had a long layoff and we had beaten them at their place. I thought our locker room was dead; I thought that was one of the things that bothered me before the game even started.

So, individually, nobody was great. Everybody hung in there. Josh (Langford) really helped me on the bench. He was a very good leader today. He kind of figured out what was going on and tried to talk to a few guys. I'll tell you, everybody is really fragile now – I think that is one of the COVID hangovers, that everybody has gone through a lot and everybody is so fragile. I started laughing the other day, I got calls from a couple coaches that said the media is jumping on people that are calling their teams soft. I'm amazed. I don't know what people think you should do. It's an interesting time. It's not all their fault, it's not all our fault, but it is a strange time. Today I did not thing we were ready to play. I thought we practiced pretty well, I just didn't think we were as mentally into the game early. The good news is that it proved to rear its ugly head, when you turn the ball over that much that usually tells you you're not mentally into the game like you need to be.

On how days may have helped Josh Langford's game tonight…
That's a good question, too. If I knew how to manage any anybody between the mental management, the physical management, the time off management, I mean none of these things has any of us ever dealt with. I didn't let him practice the day before and then he practiced some yesterday. Only precautionary because I thought his legs were not good as I told you guys. I thought his wind (was ok). I did feel he was better today, but he didn't play a long period in that first half and that hurt us, too, when he got in foul trouble. I mean, we're either fouling a lot or officials are calling a lot. Either way, when I say some of those stats, they were mind boggling.

So, we've got some guys that just have to practice more and Josh isn't one of them. I don't know what I'm going to do with him, I'm going to talk to him tomorrow, if he feels pretty good he might practice half the day. If it wasn't for the 20-some days off, if it wasn't for the lack of practicing since January 7, I wouldn't feel the same way. But I played him a lot of minutes in those two games because I was stuck. He gave me everything he had and was a little sore after that. Thank God there is nothing wrong with the foot, it's just his body is sore. So we'll take it day by day.

I think the good news is that now we got a win under our belt. We haven't won a game in a month, as I said. Don't write it like that because it sounds so bad, but we didn't play for most of the month. Now, there is a little pressure on us and I kind of like that. I think this team needs to have a little pressure on them. Maybe I need to have a little pressure on me.

On the play of the centers and where he would gauge that right now…
That, too, is a little hard to do as frustrating as it is for you and all your Tweeters that Tweet in. It's difficult because Mady (Sissoko) is the guy that we started to play a little more because we knew he'd rebound and run and he was getting up to 10-12 minutes in a game, then he gets COVID. Then, Marcus, this summer hurt him, but he did some good things early. Then he gets a little gun happy and all of a sudden at critical times he has to learn, he has to be a little better. But I didn't think he was bad, I was really disappointed in Julius in the first half. But then in the second half he played a lot better. I often wonder is he going through a lot of stuff between COVID and the loss of his father and how does he balance that. I could use Lindsay full time here, 24/7 to be blunt and honest with you.

So, everything you do right now is kid gloves. And that part is hard. Then losing creeps in and creates those issues. But for the most part we've been practicing pretty well. We practiced pretty well yesterday. I didn't think we brought it today to be very honest with you, so I don't want to use the word soft, or lazy. But we didn't bring it today with the same emotion that I think we've been practicing and playing with.

Junior forward Gabe Brown

On is first-half miscues were "hangover" from his layoff since seemed to get on track in second half...
I wouldn't say it was "hangover," it was just a couple of them that I've got to complete, I mean, I've been working out these past couple days and lifting, and things like that so I'm just trying to get my flow back, and I feel I have, but they just didn't go in, I've just got to complete those types of plays.

On his work-ethic and coming out after game and getting shots up inspiring lots of young people, other players and coaches, and what it means to come back out after a game, win or lose and get shots up and keep working on game...
I mean basketball is all I've got, that's the only thing that makes me happy, so if I can play it as much as I can, that's what I like to do. I work out 24-7 and Coach (Izzo) probably doesn't see all the days where I go in, or nobody really sees the days where I go in, but I'm in the gym all the time. All I want to do is that if somebody's looking up to me, I just want to show them that, that's how you're supposed to work, that's how you're supposed to grind if you want to get what you deserve.

On where his stamina level is coming out of tonight's game and if any surprise to have that much energy...
Like I said, I've been running, I've been doing a lot of work these past couple days, just trying to get back, and at points when I was out there, I was tired for probably like a minute, but then everything else just... my second wind just came and I just kept rolling after that.

On how much this team needs to summon up some energy around that and each other with everything that's been going on...
We need it a lot, I mean a lot of situations happened this past couple months, this past month and a half, so we do need energy, we do need everybody all involved, and we've just got to come together. I mean, that's all it is, we do need energy from me, from all the captains, each and every player's got to bring something to the table and energy, that's something that's something you can control, and I feel that this team needs it and we need it each and every night.

Players Mentioned

Gabe Brown

Thomas Kithier

Rocket Watts

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