Photo by: Matthew Mitchell Photography
Michigan State Meets with the Media, Makes Final Preparations for Sweet Sixteen Matchup with Ole Miss on Friday
3/27/2025 5:34:00 PM | Men's Basketball
ATLANTA, Ga. – Michigan State's men's basketball team traveled to Atlanta on Wednesday afternoon and arrived at State Farm Arena today to make final preparations for its game against Ole Miss in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.
The No. 2 seed Spartans play the sixth-seeded Rebels on Friday, March 28 at State Farm Arena. The game tips off at 7:09 p.m. on CBS, with Ian Eagle, Bill Raftery, Grant Hill and Tracy Wolfson calling all of the action.
This will be MSU's 18th trip to the Sweet 16 since the NCAA Tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985, including the 16th under Head Coach Tom Izzo.
After film and walk through in the hotel on Thursday morning, the team took the short drive to State Farm Arena.
The team met with the media in its locker room, while senior Jaden Akins, junior Tre Holloman, redshirt freshman Jeremy Fears Jr. and freshman Jase Richardson took part in a press conference, along with Izzo.
This will be the second time an Izzo-coached team has played against a team coached by Chris Beard, the Ole Miss coach who was at Texas Tech in 2019 when the Spartans played in the Final Four.
"I didn't know Chris very well then and gained a lot of respect for him," Izzo said. "Number one, he had coached for Coach Knight, and Coach Knight I was a fan of, and we talked about him. This is before the game, meaning a couple days before the game. But what I loved about him is I think we're kind of out of the same cloth. His teams are always tough. I thought we got punked up there. I thought we weren't ready for that, and we're usually the more physical team. I thought his team did a helluva job.
"It was a dogfight game, in it till the end, but they did beat us and deserved to beat us. So I gained respect for Chris then, just how he coached, how he was, and how he was after the game. He wasn't arrogant and this and that. He was -- and still is to this day. So, yeah, I have an appreciation for him as a coach and I have an appreciation for the way he coaches."
Michigan State's players spent 15 minutes on the dais before visiting with CBS and then spending the last portion during the open locker room.
"No, we haven't watched any of that game (the 2019 Final Four), but we have watched definitely film on them and how they play and their defensive scheme and what their strengths and weaknesses are," Fears said. "They're a tough team. They switch. Everybody's physical. They guard and play defense."
After the media sessions, the Spartans spent 90 minutes on the State Farm Arena floor for practice.
The No. 2 seed Spartans play the sixth-seeded Rebels on Friday, March 28 at State Farm Arena. The game tips off at 7:09 p.m. on CBS, with Ian Eagle, Bill Raftery, Grant Hill and Tracy Wolfson calling all of the action.
This will be MSU's 18th trip to the Sweet 16 since the NCAA Tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985, including the 16th under Head Coach Tom Izzo.
After film and walk through in the hotel on Thursday morning, the team took the short drive to State Farm Arena.
The team met with the media in its locker room, while senior Jaden Akins, junior Tre Holloman, redshirt freshman Jeremy Fears Jr. and freshman Jase Richardson took part in a press conference, along with Izzo.
This will be the second time an Izzo-coached team has played against a team coached by Chris Beard, the Ole Miss coach who was at Texas Tech in 2019 when the Spartans played in the Final Four.
"I didn't know Chris very well then and gained a lot of respect for him," Izzo said. "Number one, he had coached for Coach Knight, and Coach Knight I was a fan of, and we talked about him. This is before the game, meaning a couple days before the game. But what I loved about him is I think we're kind of out of the same cloth. His teams are always tough. I thought we got punked up there. I thought we weren't ready for that, and we're usually the more physical team. I thought his team did a helluva job.
"It was a dogfight game, in it till the end, but they did beat us and deserved to beat us. So I gained respect for Chris then, just how he coached, how he was, and how he was after the game. He wasn't arrogant and this and that. He was -- and still is to this day. So, yeah, I have an appreciation for him as a coach and I have an appreciation for the way he coaches."
Michigan State's players spent 15 minutes on the dais before visiting with CBS and then spending the last portion during the open locker room.
"No, we haven't watched any of that game (the 2019 Final Four), but we have watched definitely film on them and how they play and their defensive scheme and what their strengths and weaknesses are," Fears said. "They're a tough team. They switch. Everybody's physical. They guard and play defense."
After the media sessions, the Spartans spent 90 minutes on the State Farm Arena floor for practice.
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