Post-Game Quotes: Michigan

Michigan State Head Coach Tom Izzo

Opening Statement…
Well, I guess it was old school Big Ten basketball. Both teams played pretty well defensively, but I'm not sure if I've ever seen that many air balls by both teams. We just didn't make shots, and they probably didn't either. I felt like we did enough things in the second half to where I feel like that game was in control, so that was a good coaching lesson and a good lesson for the players. We took a couple of bad shots in that stretch when we were 11 up, and just like that, give them credit. I thought we did enough good things to win the game. We deserved to win the game, but we've got to improve; I don't know how we can improve on getting some of those shots. What a great, unbelievable crowd. What a great TV audience. I told Juwan (Howard) after the game that I didn't think either one of us played well defensively. It doesn't make me a good coach. I say that, and yet I was really proud of A.J. (Hoggard). I thought he did a lot of good things. One of them was the job he did in guarding Jett Howard. I think Jett Howard is a really, really, really good player. I thought A.J. did a good job, and Joey (Hauser), I've never seen him miss so many good shots, but at the same time, he had 10 boards and played pretty good D. So I was happy with him. And then, Malik Hall - my assistant Doug Wojcik said to me, we were sitting on the bench at halftime and he said, 'God, Malik is kind of a stat stuffer.' I said, 'What do you mean?' He said that Malik had nine points at halftime and it just didn't seem like that. He ended up with 15, and we don't win the game without him, but some of those drives – just like I told Jaden (Akins), just because the head tells you that you can do it, the body tells you that you can't. You can tell he was a little off on that stuff. But, all-in-all, it was a great win. Most of the second half we played pretty well, but they came back pretty well. Typical Big Ten game, I mean, that was a slugfest. Hopefully we will both shoot better than we did. We have both shot better, but maybe the credit goes to the defense for both teams.

On the key to defending Michigan center Hunter Dickinson…
I thought Mady (Sissoko) did a pretty good job. But, we did a couple of things. We sometimes doubled, sometimes did not, and sometimes did nothing. I think that over the last couple of years, we just went at him with a steady diet of something and that wasn't very good. He still had some points, but I thought he had to work for them. I thought we did a pretty good job; he's a load to handle in there. I thought we did a pretty good job, and Mady was really good. A.J. (Hoggard) got in there, Joey Hauser got some doubles, and when they threw out of the doubles they missed some good shots too. That let us keep doing it. I think that mixing it up was the key to at least somewhat contain him. He still had 18 points and that's probably his average, so we didn't do that good of a job on him, but we did make him work for what he got.

On how the center position affected the game…
We knew we had to throw all three guys at him (Hunter Dickinson). Jaxon was still moving his feet, and sometimes when they took him out, they put (Tarris) Reed (Jr.) in the game, he's a little better athletically at going to the hole, and Jaxon struggled a little with that. I thought in general, Jackson did a pretty good job, and (Carson) Cooper did a pretty good job. We're just going to have to keep getting better there. We're not great there, we know that, and we keep getting better. The shame of it is that in the first couple plays of the game, Mady (Sissoko) had dunks and layups, and he has to learn to just lay it up and not bring the ball behind his head. But boy, we ran some things that we thought; and A.J. did an unbelievable job – we got exactly what we wanted and we didn't finish. At halftime I was thinking that if we just hit a couple layups and one or two of the threes, but maybe they (Michigan) felt the same way.

On the development he's seen from A.J. Hoggard…
I really think that it's a little bit of trust. I had Mateen (Cleaves) sitting next to me, and every once in a while I would say something to him. I just think that there comes a point in time in everyone's life where you've got to figure it out, and you know, we had some head knocking sessions. I've had those with a lot of players, some even better than A.J. I just said that he's got to trust us. I thought he's played more under control, and he took one bad shot. I'll tell you that right now. He took one bad shot, and that really caused a run for them. And yet, it's hard to tell him that because he had just hit two, but it's about the timing of it. Early in the shot clock, nobody was ready for it. Those are things that you've just got to learn. I don't care if you take the shot, but it's got to be within the confines of what we're doing. He's been, and you can see it, you saw the body language at the beginning of the year. You saw it last year, because it was abundantly clear every day. You don't see any of that now. It's not just that he's playing better, he's handled everything a lot better. I'm really proud of him. Sometimes you get to that point where you ask if it's going to change or not, and he's making great decisions now. He's not turning the ball over, he's running the team. I thought a couple of times there, we weren't in the sets that we needed to be in, so he's still got to get more vocal, but he's definitely made a lot of progress. I'm happy for him, because he wants to be a player, and he's making himself a player. That's what process and development are all about.

On Malik Hall's continued return from injury…
Well, he sprained that ankle. That's the number one negative is that it's the same ankle. It wasn't the same spot, so since it wasn't the same spot he just kind of sprained an ankle. He fought through it. He communicates, he talks and he makes it easier on other people. And yet, at the end when we were switching five, we screwed that up once or twice. I just laughed at him, because I think he thought it was just going to all come back overnight. You don't win that game without Malik, and there were a couple of other games that I thought we could have won with Malik. He's my most versatile player. He does so many things. He keeps the other guys calm, and he can drive and make some plays. He's multi-skilled, and as that comes back over the next two weeks, I think that will be really important for us.

On the atmosphere at Breslin…
Our fans were absolutely great. Our marketing people did a great job with the towels. Everything was there. We had our alums back. Looking over and seeing them there, I wish I could have thrown some of them in. It was a one of those memory-making days, and that's what I tell players: 'You're going to come back here in five years and you're going to remember the memories that you made.' It's not about the wins that you had or the games. Certain games mean more than others. Certain games last in your memory bank, and it's always gotta be your rival. But then when the crowd was like it was, they are going to be talking. I was sitting there thinking that these are the things that we are going to pass on. There was a highlight film before the game that Steve Smith was involved in, and I think of how his son was sitting there watching it. That's the greatest part of the job for me now. There's nothing better than that. That's the most important part of the job. It's all about the players that were here before and the players that come back. Hopefully, you know, we're having all of our players go up there and talk to some of those guys, because those guys will tell them. It has been so absent because of how the last four years have gone for a variety of reasons. I think that's what I'm going to enjoy. I'm going to enjoy tonight, because I'm going to have to start working. This schedule that we have over the next nine to 10 days is a lot of work. We're going to have to get back to it in the morning, but not tonight.

On why it was so hard for the Spartans to get to the free throw line…
Getting to the line is not what we're good at. We're not good at it because we don't throw it inside consistently. We gotta drive the ball a little bit more. That'll be one thing we'll continue to work on. We've got to get Jaden (Akins) doing it, and A.J. (Hoggard) is very good at it, but I think Malik is going to get to the line. He gets there four times tonight. I think Malik is a guy that can get to the line more. I thought that was a tough game to officiate, tough game to coach, tough game to watch, a beautiful game to win.

On the importance of playing a tough, physical game that was also relatively simple…
I told Mel (Tucker) that game was for him because our defense won the game, and that's important to him. I've always said this after my third year: I respect them (Michigan). And that's what I tell my players: we're going to respect them. I don't know how the fans were. I pleaded with them because I want them to cheer for us and nothing else. I'm sure some got out of hand, but I thought in general, there were a few chants I wanted to lead a few times. I thought in general, I respect them. I have a couple of really good friends on that staff and their assistants. But, that's all. We'll be heating up again in a month or two and it'll be fun down there.

On the fearlessness of Tyson Walker during the game…
You know, that's a very good question, because I don't think Tyson's been as aggressive as we wanted him. The last couple games he's started to become more aggressive. He missed some shots, one at the free throw line, but, he was more aggressive. He did make a couple left-handed plays. They were big-time plays against big-time bodies. I think Ty (Tyson Walker) is starting to get more and more comfortable. He guards well. He had 14 points. We have to get him to the line. We have to get him a few rebounds. We have to get him to the line a little bit more. But, I was pleased with him. Our turnovers, he had two, but Mady (Sissoko) had three fumbling the ball, and Malik (Hall) had three trying to do a little too much. I think, for the most part, Tyson hasn't been doing enough. I think he's getting a little more aggressive, and I think that's good for us. I don't think I ever told two guys to keep shooting that shot that those two (Tyson Walker and Malik Hall) shot. But, I said 'hey, just keep shooting.' If my old players would've heard that, they would've been really mad because I would've said 'don't ever shoot it again.' I felt comfortable in the shots they got and the way they took them. We just didn't make them. There was good defense both ways.

On the Spartans hitting crucial free throws down the stretch…
Really proud of Malik (Hall). He hasn't played much. I think our free throw shooting is good, we're just not getting there. We were up to 78 percent, we're leading the league, but on the least amount of attempts. Some of that's going to be by nature without a true post player that we're going to. But Mady (Sissoko), if he could've finished a few of those, maybe gotten eight shots and made four or five of them, that would've been a hell of a night. But, we got work to do. We got a lot of work to do. I think you can see, too, we're running stuff a little better, we're doing some things a little better, our defense has gotten better. If you look since Jaden (Akins) has gotten back, it's gotten better.

Closing Statement…
All-in-all, I'm happy with the win. It might not seem like I'm happy because I want everything for our former players, I want it for our fans. I think they could've blown the roof off if we ever made three in a row. I don't know if anybody ever made three in a row. They made two in a row at the end. We just didn't do it. But, there's nothing like not shooting well and still finding a way to win. You can't live on that, but that's a good start. For Michigan, Williams (Terrance Williams II) didn't make the shots he'd been making, and (Joey) Baker, I thought, had some good looks. But, (Kobe) Bufkin and (Jace) Howard are two very, very good players. They're going to get better and better, and (Hunter) Dickinson does what he does. I think both of us will get better. It'll be a good game later, but we have games in between.

Michigan Head Coach Juwan Howard
On whether the missed shots were due to poor offense or good defense…
I would say great defense on both sides. I know we were competing hard and scraping. We were doing our best to try to limit them to one-shot opportunities by trying to keep them off the offensive glass. Michigan State does a great job at sending three or four guys to the offensive glass and our guys were so dialed in to keep them out front, keep them out of the paint, and at the same time contesting shots and like I said earlier, keep them off the offensive glass.

On if this was a typical Michigan vs Michigan State war…
I would say it was a typical rivalry game where both teams were battling trying to win the game. Fortunately for them, they played on their home floor with their home fans. It was a great atmosphere. Extremely competitive game.

On what was said in the huddle late in the game as Michigan made it a one-possession game…
Second half adjustments, also getting back to who we are as a team. The first half, we had foul trouble with Jett (Howard) and it was early too. We had some lineups in there, some never played together. I love how defensively guys that are trying to keep guys in front, try to keep A.J. (Hoggard) out of the paint which is tough to do. Try to keep them off of the glass and challenging. It says a lot about our level of competitiveness. Second half, we made a run, started attacking the paint, we did not settle for a lot of these trees and jumpers and things like that. Putting pressure on the basket and unfortunately for us on the other end, A.J. got into the paint and made that tough runner. And also, I think they got an offensive rebound. Those are things that hurt you. Because that is what they are great at.

On how much he thought the environment played a role in the result today…
Ask Coach Izzo it probably helped them. You just got to enjoy it. I'm sure our guys, they loved it. On the road, playing in a beautiful park like this. That's what competitors do, step up to the competition.

On if they settled for too many outside shots…
Well, when you look at the stats, it is easy to say 1-for-9 from three. It is easy to point that out, but some of the shots were open. They just did not fall.

On what he sees different in A.J. (Hoggard) now from a year ago…
A year is a big difference for any ball player. Because the A.J. I am familiar with, the kid is a worker he is all about the growth mindset and improving every year. You can see his growth from last year to this year and his confidence level and his relationship with his coach is strong. He is a primary decision-maker and has the ball in his hands pretty much 80% of the time. So that confidence level definitely gives you the comfort level that you need, but he is also a smart guard and he is competitive. At the end of the shot clock, you know he is going to be the guy with the ball in his hands and try to break his man down and make a play. He has been very successful for them.

Michigan State senior guard Tyson Walker

On the importance of finding a way to win...
We didn't let missed shots didn't really affect us, we still played really good defense for thirty-seven to forty minutes of the game. We held them to pretty low scoring, even though we didn't score much, we found a way to come out on top.

On the "scrappiness" of today's game,
It was good, it showed maturity. We didn't put our heads down when we missed shots. It's always the 'next play mentality'. If you miss a shot, you still must come down and guard, because the game isn't only based on offense. Defense is always important.

Michigan State senior guard A.J. Hoggard

On Michigan's second half run...
We didn't excel in a couple situations that we know we should have. There were a couple mistakes, which allowed them to come back, but we learned. It is important to be strong and mature in these situations.

On his late game jumper...
We drew up a play for me to get downhill. The ball kind of got knocked away, but I had to make something happen with the shot clock running down. I got off my floater and it went in, which felt good.

On Tyson Walker taking Hunter Dickinson to the rim...
Tyson makes those big time plays all the time. With a mismatch, that's what he does. He went out there and attacked and played a big part in this rivalry game for the second straight year. It's a foot race going against seven-footers and Tyson is one of the fastest guys on the court and he had to keep up. He put him in a hard situation having to guard Tyson.

On his responsibilities in today's game...
I just feed off my teammates and do whatever needs to be done to win the game. If that's having me score, if that's having me dish it out, that is what I am going to do. Shots weren't falling, but we defended well, and that's how you win games. We had to adjust to the circumstances tonight and find a way to grit it out, which we did.

Michigan State senior forward Malik Hall

On making a run late in the first half when Michigan lost a couple guys due to foul trouble...
I think it was really important honestly, we should've been able to maintain it going into the second half. I think it was really important for just the flow and momentum of the game. To swing it in our direction, I think that's something we really needed going into half.

On looking more like himself and if felt more like himself...
Yeah for sure, I think that it's always been hard coming back off injuries, kind of just knowing whether your body can do certain things or not, and confidence shooting a little bit, and quite honestly trying to do the same things as before, stay steady, stay consistent. So I'm just trying to do the same thing, stay calm, be solid and hit my shots.

On being on the floor at the end of a game and hitting free throws, and if that confidence helps get him back to normal...
It does for sure, definitely big free throws at the end, we I just have to focus on trusting myself, not that I'm lacking in any sort of confidence, you just know when you are going into hostile environments, like most gyms we go into, that you are about to head into, you have to be able to know that you are confident in yourself.

Michigan State senior forward Joey Hauser

On missing Malik (Hall) for that stretch, what he brings, and what he sees his presence in the final five minutes, and just basically just who got out of the cage alive...
Yeah, at one point I looked up and saw they were shooting I think 11 percent from three. I'm not sure what we were, but it couldn't have been much better, so in a game like that where we have Malik back defensively, I mean that was a team effort defensively, that was definitely a Big Ten game.

On being in games like this and having different options, and how it is with the older guys getting some rhythm, and what it's like having multiple options so defenses don't just key in on him...
It helps everybody, it helps me, Jaden (Akins), Tyson (Walker), A.J. (Hoggard), Malik (Hall), it helps guys get open, we've gotten better at making that extra pass and ball movement, we can get a lot of open shots. We missed a lot of shots but we played pretty good defense. Yeah, I think we had between me, Tyson, A.J., and Malik, we thought we were going to have a really connected nucleus of guys, that we knew what we were gonna do, knew what we were gonna get out of each other, play well off each other, I think now that he's (Malik) back I think that we are headed towards that gel.

Related News

Players Mentioned

Malik Hall

Joey Hauser

A.J. Hoggard

Tyson Walker

Related Videos