Michigan State University Athletics
Post-Game Quotes: Michigan
1/31/2024 12:38:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Opening Statement…
Well, it was a tale of two halves. I've got to give Michigan a lot of credit. I thought they outplayed us most of the first half. We were lucky to be down two. It's not a 19-point win, but it's a solid win. Most of the second half we played better. What we have been doing is we've not been turning the ball over. A.J. (Hoggard) had two in the first couple minutes, someone else had one, then we had three for the rest of the game. That was big. I thought we made some shots. I thought Jaden Akins was really good. First half he was pretty good, but we weren't guarding or rebounding. Second half he checked and scored; I think that's what he can do. Tyson (Walker) must have figured we were going to win, so he decided to go 0-6 from the three with wide-open looks and save his shots for the weekend. I thought A.J. was really good in second half. First half he was really average. The guy that really saved us was Jaden Akins and of course Malik Hall. He ended up with 6-8. Didn't get to the free throw line and only had three rebounds, so there'll be something to complain about. I thought he [Hall] did a really good job on not only guarding Olivier [Nkamhoua], and he's a hell of a player, but we played a little bit of our own bully ball. I thought he took it in there and made some big plays. You shoot 56 percent and 43 percent from the three and you don't feel like you played as well, but 21 assists were good, six turnovers were good. I thought Michigan played well the first 25 minutes of the game and I thought we played well the last 15.
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On what win 700 means to him and to achieve it in front of an alumni crowd…
That's what means something to me. I told my team, 'you better learn something from those guys,' because I'm worried that will disappear with these stupid new rules. There were a lot of former players, a lot of former managers. It wasn't reunion weekend; they just came back for a good game and to support us. Our fans were unbelievable. It was a nine o'clock game and it was packed to the rafters and they helped us too. We were very average the first half. I should be more excited, but I'm not because I have bigger goals than to win a game, even against your rivals. Consistency is what I think is the key to successful programs. We have been consistently inconsistent. We got some play out of everybody. (Xavier) Booker went in there and did some good things, then he did a couple things he's got to learn. I was really happy with Malik Hall trying to teach him. Coen (Carr) might've had one of the greatest blocks in Breslin history, but defensively there were some things he didn't do. That's what happens with freshmen and that's why so few people are playing them. I like my two that are playing and hopefully we'll get them some more minutes. Eight will turn to 10 and 10 will turn to 12. Jaxon Kohler did some decent things. We felt like with Mady (Sissoko) and (Carson) Cooper, we thought we would be rolling a lot more; we didn't do that, and we got a lot to coach tomorrow.
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On second-half changes and being more aggressive on loose balls being the factor…
I couldn't agree with you more. That's what energy stuff does. We talk about it, but we've got to do a better job at that. That has to be the norm. We still got outrebounded but at least the effort related things I thought we did a better job. The defense in the second half, Jaden (Akins) really got after some people, Tre (Holloman) really got after some people, Tyson (Walker) got after some people and that was good for us.
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On a night of a lot of celebration, how it feels for A.J. Hoggard to score his 1,000th point and how proud is he of him…
I'm really proud of A.J. because it's been an interesting four years, to say the least. At halftime I wasn't thinking about his 1,000th point. I was thinking of the mistakes we were making. But to his credit, I said to them, 'if you [Hoggard] and Tyson (Walker) don't play better, we're not going to win,' they both played better. Even though Tyson didn't shoot it like he normally does, but he got after it a little more. A.J. ran our team and made very few mistakes. I'm happy for him because it meant a lot for him. You get to be in an elite group, that's not something everybody gets to do. I'm really happy that he did it in three and half years. That's pretty good.
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On the frustrations of the first half …
Well, I was frustrated with the effort-related things. I'm not going to lie to you, it's embarrassing, but that has been an issue for me when I got Mateen Cleaves sitting next to me and Steve Smith being there. That is what we built this program on and it's still not where it needs to be. I did agree with you. I thought we had some open shots. I mean, Tyson (Walker) had some open shots, Jaden (Akins) had a couple. We missed a layup in there and (Carson) Cooper missed an easy one. (Xavier) Booker banked one in, so I guess we got one back in return. I don't know what it is with me and big guys. Between Wisconsin and now Reed, that was frustrating. You do a hell of a job defensively and a guy like that hits a three. I don't mean that negatively against him, I just mean that's kind of the things that have happened to us. Tonight, we bounced back. That's a talented team. I like the point guard, (Jaelin) Llewellyn. He played good and did some good things. It's got to be hard to deal with what Juwan (Howard) has gone through, his own illness and his situation with his guard. I think they are handling it as well as they can. This is still a team that has some talent and will win some games.Â
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On putting two good halves together …Â
That's exactly what I asked my team tonight when I was in the locker room. Not only tying two halves together, tying five or six players together. It hasn't been selfish with 21 assists on 37 baskets. I thought we did a great job of that. We are just gonna keep working at it. If it ever comes, I think this team could be as good as I said. If it doesn't come, this team won't be as good as I said. It's pretty simple. I'm gonna keep working on it and I promise you that.
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On if Michigan struggling takes some intensity out of the rivalry …
I've been here when we weren't winning much. It still was a rivalry. I've been here when I was winning a lot and it was still a rivalry. You know the difference with their team right now, if you really look at their team, the number of games outside of Purdue that wasn't a two, three, four-point game late in the game. They've been in every game. You got to give him and his staff credit. As far as the rivalry goes, I have enough over my 39 and-a-half years of goods and bads, the rivalry will never die for me, and I'm sure for them too. Nobody has been there that long for them. The rivalry is something that is not about the coaches, it's not even about the teams. The rivalry is about the people who went to school at both places, people who pull for their teams. A rivalry should go on forever. Is it the same if both teams are playing for championships? Well, of course not. When you play your rival, it doesn't matter if they are 0-10 in football or 10-0, rivalries are rivalries. Was it a little different? Little different because we are both struggling. Still had butterflies last night. Still didn't sleep well last night. That'll never change. It'll never change if I lose 10 in a row or win 10 in a row.Â
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On the biggest differences defensively …
We changed a few things up on ball screens. It's hard when we have been playing so many teams that are perimeter oriented, and now we play a team that has perimeter shooters. (Jaelin) Llewellyn is shooting better than anyone on their team. I think (Terrance) Williams is a hell of a player. He can make shots and I think we did a decent job on Williams from the three. We did not do a very good job on Llewellyn, he goes 4-6. They got three guys who can shoot it and two horses inside. I thought the guy we did a decent job on, who I really like, is (Will) Tshetter. He didn't get much off, but he can really shoot it. He's a good offensive rebounder. All in all, our bigs probably did better in everything than I think defensively, but I'll have to watch the film and let you know tomorrow. I'm kind of confused by the game myself.
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On if it means more to win 700, against the rival, on his birthday…
No, that one really didn't. When you're a coach, most birthdays I'm not around for. I think one thing that I realized is that I started too late or somebody else won a lot more games because I'm 502 behind [Mike] Krzyzewski. I don't think he's worried about me catching him. But I did feel good, I look back on my career and we would talk about this a lot of nights at midnight 10 years ago and what I was going to do, when I was going to quit, whether I would go to the NBA. So many coaches have changed and I've just kind of hung in there and that's what happens when you hang in there. 700 wins is pretty impressive even to me, 700 wins at the same school, that means a lot to me. That's probably what means the most to me. I mean you win a few here and a few here and few there and then a lot at one place, but we, we, the players, the assistant coaches I've had, we've won all of ours right here at Michigan State. I am really, really proud and I feel good. Like I said, we're not dead yet. We've got some more wins, we've got some more years to go so we keep fighting to fight. I think looking back – I don't know if anybody look back in these jobs until they're done, I mean I can't imagine Nick Saban looking back or Bill Belichick looking back, Mike Krzyzewski or Roy Williams – you don't look back now, you look back when you're done. The only problem is it was so fun to be around my guys. When I said that, I think of Mateen [Cleeves], I think of that recruiting battle and I think that we all know I wouldn't be here if I didn't win that battle and then we won. This day in age you don't stay in the same place very long unless you win big and you don't win big unless without good players and good teams and good leaders and good assistant coaches. And you know what, people have supported me here. The fans have been unbelievable. The Izzone has been unbelievable when I think about those 150 kids in that first game against Indiana with the 4,000 red sweaters in our home stands, I was so upset that me and [Mark] Hollis almost went at it in the hallway and we changed it, changed the culture, changed all the things. Now, I think we have some incredible things rolling. Our marketing people have done an incredible job. Look at our women's [basketball] program, look at our hickey program. I called Robyn [Fralick], she said 'do you want to come over to my house, I'm having a little party for the Lions,' and I was going to go but I said, 'No, I better work because you're passing me by and you're too young to pass me by,' so I stayed home and worked and watched the Lions. But I appreciate all the people that have helped me have the success, from Lou Anna [Simon] to Mark [Hollis] to Alan [Haller] and the people here now. I'm looking forward, we've got some things going here with our football coach and our president and all that. Let's go. Let's go. Let's get some stuff done.
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On how much the guards provided with the inside presence…
Our break was pretty good at times, I mean Tre Holloman made a couple nice plays, Tyson, A.J.. But to get your break going, you got to defend it, you've got to rebound it, then you've got to run. They were shooting 60% so we weren't defending it. They were outrebounding us, so we weren't rebounding it, and I think that was the difference. Second half we did a little better job in some of those areas. But we're going to be doing some work on it this week. We're going to address it, it's not like I haven't tried to. But I think can use some of this film in the second half, there was a little more physicality, there were loose balls as somebody brought up. Those are the things that Michigan State has always been good at. If were not as good, you always have to look at the guy at the top. So, the head's not doing it right so the body's not doing it right. So, the head better get it right so the body does it right.
Michigan State junior guard Jaden Akins
On what it means to have a night like this and how it felt…
It felt good, you know, getting coach's 700th win on his birthday, beating Michigan, it was just a good game.Â
What went well personally to lead to a career game…
The basket just looked big, I felt like every shot that I shot would go in so it was just a good night like that. I feel like I played with a lot of confidence.
On how to build on positive performances…
Really just intensity and togetherness, we have another game coming on Saturday so we have to bring the same effort that we brought in the second half the whole game. The first half we didn't really play that well, but Davis (Smith) gave us a speech at half time to get us going, but I would just say intensity that's what we control.Â
On what Davis said at halftime…
He was just saying that it's a rivalry game and that they shot really well in the first half from three and from two and we just have to finish the game.
On how special it is to be a part of 700 wins…
Its special for sure, coach has been doing this for a long time so to get to 700 that's a really crazy milestone so I'm just blessed to be a part of it.Â
On Izzo's birthday…
Hope is a good birthday present for him, so we knew it was his birthday.Â
On what beating Michigan means to Izzo…
It's just always something big for him. He's played in so many games against them, but its still always that energy and intensity that he brings to practice and to walk through to everything when it's Michigan week so it's still a big game no matter what.
Michigan State graduate forward Malik Hall
On the moment after the game with Izzo and the team…
I mean I just, I was the one who told everybody that we should go over there because I think coach has been there for every single person in that locker room, every single person, previous players. I think it was a moment where he would have enjoyed to have us there and he would have enjoyed to have us behind him and supporting him and being thankful to be in the moment with him. I hope he was thankful for it and I hope he enjoyed it. But really I think it was just lets join, coach has been there for us though everything and takes a lot of blame for us so just us showing support back was what it was from me.
On his journey and what Izzo means to him personally…
I was thinking about this earlier before the game, coach has taught me so many different things, probably that he doesn't even think that I think about. But I mean, I can't even explain it, he has done so much to expand my mind, expand the way I think and expand how I approach things, how I am emotionally, so many different things.
Michigan State senior guard A.J. Hoggard
On how neat it is to be part of the teams that contributed to Izzo's 700 wins...
Oh man, it's great. I just felt like we were holding up the 663 last year, felt like it was right round the corner. So just to see him accomplish that, and be a part of it on a night like this, on his birthday, on rivalry night, it's just special.
On what this win means...
It means that we're growing. We're getting better everyday, continuing to get that confidence back in ourselves and just playing how we know how, playing together and being consistent. Just have to kind of find consistency throughout and continue to build on that, we'll be fine.
On how different the team is when Jaden is giving him even half of what he did tonight...
Hard to guard you know. Tyson (Walker) is gonna be Tyson, Jaden (Akins) and Malik (Hall) when they do their thing it makes it easier. Just me, just being a point guard and leading the team. When we're all clicking at the same time we're definitely hard to beat. We just gotta figure out how to be consistent in that and just bring it every night as the veterans for our team. I think once we continue to do that we'll be fine.
On what it meant in a game like to get to a thousand points and pushing in the second half...
Getting it on a night like this is definitely special. Getting to do it in front of your rivals, in front of the home crowd is great. You definitely wanna do it at a home game. Being able to do that was big for me, I was being more aggressive. Especially when we had the lead a little bit, I was being aggressive, cause I wanted to get it tonight. Shots went in, I came out with the 1,000.
On what it was like to see Jaden have the night that he had...
It was definitely big, you know, him being a Michigan kid. I know that's something that he probably dreamed of, having one of his big games like that today versus the rival. Him doing that is definitely fun to see. He had a little fire to him after shooting around today, he was kinda mad I didn't pass him this one shot so I told him just to bring it to the game, I need five threes tonight, and he brought it to me. We came out with the win, he played a big role in that. Continue to build on that.
On putting the good first half games and the good second half games together...
We started off a little well, we didn't defend as much as we wanted to early. I think we got good looks offensively, but it didn't drop right away. Then we gotta kinda continue to build on our starts to the game and then we'll be fine. We did a better job the second half. I think this was one of our better second halves of the year. Coming out right away, starting from the tip. I mean the pass, the second half I think we did a good job of that, keeping our foot on our necks, building a lead. We did a good job of being consistent in that lead.
Michigan head coach Juwan Howard
On the difficulty of playing in the Breslin…
I've had a lot of success playing here. We can go back to those records. I've had a ton of success playing here. I used to love playing here. It was actually one of my favorite places, because we got a lot of wins here. While coaching, it's been a challenge to win here. This is a tough place to play. We always try to duplicate the same thing when we go to Ann Arbor, and we've had success with that as well.
On teams going on runs…
It's those droughts. It's those droughts where we mentally lose it. Is it confidence or is it the basics? I think it's a little bit of both. We have to get down to the basics: boxing out. Guys are flying in, and we watch the film. Our scouts, our staff, our managers and support staff does a fantastic job of identifying those areas of what we have to prepare for and work on in practice. The miscommunication on defensive assignments. The guys will tell you in the locker room that you always hear about, 'my bad.' I'm like what the hell is, 'my bad?' We are past that. Take ownership of it and fix it. We have to fix it.
On if these mistakes stand out more because of the rivalry…
I don't think it is that. It is not that at all, whatsoever.
On Jaelin Llewellyn's play tonight…
Jaelin has to log a lot of minutes when you don't have Dug [McDaniel]. 35 minutes, and the guy is just grinding and grinding. I respect him and how he has conducted himself through the process of healing. Every time he steps on the floor, no matter how many minutes or what role, he is going to give it his all. I know I am not the only one, his teammates admire and respect how he handles his stuff. He is a very smart young man, and very competitive. We are just going to need everyone. All hands-on deck.
On what went well in the first half and not the second…
In the first half it was two teams battling it out. Defensively, we did a really good job at protecting the basket and not allowing too many paint touches. Also I think our guys did a great job from a transition standpoint knowing that MSU does a great job of getting down in transition. Also as far as keeping them off the offensive glass we did a good job in the first half. The second half on the other hand, the difference was everything I just mentioned, we struggled with. In the first half we gave up one point transition and the 17 in the second. Three-point shooting. We didn't guard the 3-point line. Jaden hit some back breakers that really hurt us and gave the crowd the energy which united their team. They made adjustments offensively and were the most physical team in the second half. I thought we were the most physical team in the first half. The last part is giving them credit defensively. They really got out, got into the gaps and wouldn't put the ball on the floor as we tried to drive. No matter what sport you play in, it's a possession game and when you give up the ball, you will put yourself in a tough spot. We got into a hole that we couldn't get out of.
On things being coached and the defense….
We will continue to keep working. It's a mindset and you really have to be dialed in to wanting to play defense. It's not going to show up in the box score, it's not going to show up on a highlight moment but you have to have those moments when a guy is driving in or working at the rim. Even if he dunks it, you challenge it and it's a part of the game. You're going to get dunked on. We can't get blown by and we can't have uncontested shots against open shooters at the three. I take full blame as a coach and it's on me. So we are going to work on it and get better with it. I am not going to give up on it. This is what has been successful for us. I know it's a staple of who we are and that's what's going to keep it competitive in our league. Our league is very tough, just like a lot of other conferences in college basketball. The Big Ten is going to reveal who you really are because the level of talent and coaching happening in our league.
On containing Tyson Walker and Jaden's shooting tonight…
Well, Jaden got some free looks because of miscommunication and mental breakdowns. Tyson, you know, has the head of a snake. He is one of the best players not only in our conference but in college basketball. There is a big emphasis in our game plan and making sure he has to work for every bucket. At times we got creative defensively on things that we worked on to help this, but we can't allow the other guys to get ignited with confidence and make you pay. Those shots that Jaden made were mental breakdowns.
On Izzo reaching 700 wins, his career overall and coaching against him…
That's an easy question to answer. He is a hall of fame coach and an example of what a lot of us coaches are striving to become. The successes he has had in college basketball is just glaring and looking right at you. The man has grinded and has learned from one of the greatest coaches in college basketball. He has created his own staple and identity to this program and his program has had success. I really admire him in a lot of ways. Yes, it's a rivalry, it's always going to be a rivalry. But at the same time, you have to give him respect where respect is due. With coach being able to reach that many wins show an example of what I'm trying to get to. It takes time and a lot of years. I don't know if I have that many years of coaching left as him, but we'll see.
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