	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

BIG TEN CONFERENCE MEN'S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT

March 17, 2019

Tom Izzo

United Center - Chicago, Illinois

Michigan State 65, Michigan 60

COACH TOM IZZO: I've never been prouder of a team in my life. Coaches say that every time after they win and year after year, and I've had some incredible teams and incredible guys, but what these guys have been through nobody will ever know, and the way they have handled it and hung in there. Again today, a very, very, very good team. We played very well the first 10 minutes. They went on a 20-6 run and played extremely well. They are well-coached. They are a good team and probably outplayed us most of the second half, and yet the grit and the determination at halftime. I'm disappointed because Xavier was in foul trouble early, and played a freshman some, and we tried to play Nick some, which was okay offensively, and some struggle defensively, just because of some things we did. And then Cassius I didn't think was playing very good and we didn't think Matt was looking for his shot and we didn't think Kenny was looking for his. So that's my four best players in the last month and yet we're down eight and we told them that. We haven't played well and we're down eight. They played better. Cassius was unbelievable and McQuaid was even better than him, and Xavier made some big plays, and we found a way to beat a very good team that, as I said, probably outplayed us more than we outplayed them.

Q. With the injuries today, how big of a rally call to come back?
COACH TOM IZZO: There's a lot of reasons I have pride in my team. But at halftime when Ernie came walking in there, everybody thought it was broke and it wasn't broke; but you know, he's probably done for the year. It's badly, badly sprained. But the way they wrapped around him and then Josh, you know, emotional, and him, and I think at his expense it gave us a lift if you want the truth. He handled it so well. Josh has handled it so well, because we needed an emotional lift at halftime. I don't know why, you know, I got a lot of texts from former players today. Steve Smith might have been the best one. He said, "Don't worry about the physical; they will fight through that. It's the mental fatigue." And we were mentally making mistake after mistake on our coverages, even some of our best guys and I'm sure that was a little bit the mental fatigue.

Q. This game kind of followed a familiar script, at least against Michigan. Was there ever any question in your mind that you were going to pull it out?
COACH TOM IZZO: Boy, I could be real cocky here again and say, hell, no, there's no question. Hell, yes, there was a question in my mind. I did not think we were playing great. But I did think if we got it close, you know, maybe that would help follow that script, and so that was the battle cry. Let's cut it to six; let's cut it to four. I would see at certain times, if we could get it down two more, we weren't greedy. And they all said it, because we've all been there before. Let's just cut it down two at a time. Let's not go for home runs. We got it down there and it was bizarre the way it went at the end. It was bizarre but it was a good bizarre for us.

Q. Thoughts on playing Bradley your first round?
COACH TOM IZZO: You know, I don't have any thoughts on that. I guess the only thoughts I have is I've been-1-seed and been a 7-seed. Got to a Final Four as a 7 and got beat the first weekend as the 1. I don't know much about Bradley. I'll know a lot more by the end of tonight. But I'm not going to let anybody talk me into talking about that if you want the truth. I'm going to enjoy this incredible, incredible win but the players in that locker room, and to be honest with you, every player that ever played here, I think everybody took great solace in this win.

So where we play, when we play, if I had my druthers it would be anything but Thursday because just of our injuries and everything, but nothing's been easy all year, why change now. I'm happy with whatever we do.

Q. What about as a whole this year, how does this stack up to years past?
COACH TOM IZZO: A little disappointed in that I think we should have had eight, you know -- well, then, okay, don't answer the question if you don't know the answer. I mean, they talked all year that we're the best conference in the country, yet there are no 1-seed out of it. And if we don't get eight, I think they deserve to have eight. I think we've got to start talking about our conference because it was very about, and by the way, I think we're the only league in the country that played 20 conference games. So sometimes that's two less losses instead of automatic with insurance, and I don't think that was talked about enough. So teams like Indiana and Minnesota and, I mean, who all got in, do you know? They are the only ones that's not yet? They deserve to be in. They beat us twice. The league deserves it. I've been in this league 35 years as a GA on up, and I think everybody would argue that it's been the best talked-about league, and add that 20 games in. I don't think we're getting any credit for that. So I think that deserves some credit for some of those teams that, you know, struggled a little bit at stretches with some injuries and so I hope we get eight in. I think we deserve to get eight in.

Q. You beat your rival twice in a week's time. How satisfying is this stretch in your career?
COACH TOM IZZO: Well, you know, we've had a lot of games against my rival. You know, early on, I was getting my brains beat in and then we did some beating in and now it's been a pretty solid thing. You know, last year, they got us twice when we had a really about team and that's what rivalries are. I don't think you could ask for a better game except that it was a little low-scoring, but both teams clawed and scratched and had a hell of a game. Maybe that's the way it's going to be from here on out. Maybe we get this thing where some of the great rivalries are, and that's fine with me and I'm sure it's fine with John. If we're playing -- like I told a lot of people on Thursday, Wednesday, I did some radio shows in Michigan, and Michigan fans called in and said, "Well, we'll see if they are there Sunday." I said, "I sure as hell hope so, and you should too, because that means your team survived." Because it wasn't easy to survive this tournament with the good teams that were in it.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297