NCAA Championship Press Conference
4/2/2000 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
April 2, 2000
Indianapolis, Ind. -
The people that play Florida talk about how they like to get them in their style of game and lure you into attempting shots that might look good at any time but actually get them running. What do you do to prevent that
Coach Izzo: We like to run, too. Maybe some of that is our style also. We've played some teams in the past, all these guys have been involved with teams like Iowa, who maybe does that as well as anybody did over the past couple of years.
So I think we have an understanding for that. I think these guys want to run, too. We don't want to take bad shots, but I think we want to run and take good shots. So that style, as you know, is 180 degrees from what we went through yesterday, but I think these guys have been through it before.
Tom, I know losing Mateen early was tough to stomach. But could you address from a development standpoint maybe how it helped other guys step into the fray and Morris, specifically, in terms of jumping into a more prominent role because of his absence?
Coach Izzo: It wasn't a very enjoyable experience for me or him, but I think a couple of things happened. No. 1, I think he remained the leader of this team, so he did a lot more from the bench and maybe encouraging guys. I think almost demanding what Morris should do and I think Charlie made some big strides with his ball-handling, his passing skills, and was becoming a very good point guard, right before we switched back. I think both A.J. and Andre took on more leadership roles.
Every guy, I really believe, had to step it up a notch, and I'm sure in the long run it helped us all.
On the other side of the coin, I think maybe some of the progress of our younger kids was hindered because we had so many different guys out of position. So, you know, I can't say that it worked totally to our advantage. I do think for a couple of these guys they stepped up and really they had it in them, they just maybe relied on Mateen and he pushed them while he was out. I think that helped us.
Coach, we expected an ugly game yesterday and we certainly go it. What kind of game do you expect tomorrow from Florida in the final?
Coach Izzo: When we say an ugly game, we contributed a lot to that, too. I'm not sitting here, make sure you don't take that wrong, that, you know, there's different styles and everybody has their own style. Like I've said before, there's a lot of ways to skin a cat.
I think tomorrow's game will be more up-and-down the court. I think we want to run, they want to run, we want up tempo, they want up tempo. They do things better than we do, hopefully we do things better than they do. It should be a game that's 180 degrees form yesterday but it doesn't mean it will be.
Tom, you have a deep and confident bench, as does Florida. The most striking difference would be theirs has quite a bit more scoring punch. Do you need to get more points out of your bench? Are you at all concerned about them wearing you down?
Coach Izzo: Yeah, I am a little bit for two reasons. No. 1, I do think we need to get more scoring out of our bench. I think we have the potential to get more scoring out of our bench. But, No. 2, as far as wearing us down, I think we'll utilize our bench enough so it doesn't and I think these five guys sitting here have kind of been through so many wars, the NCAA Tournament, thanks to a few longer timeouts, kind of helps in that respect.
But there's no doubt that Florida is the deepest, most talented team we play. In other words, Illinois was that way, but it seems like everybody they bring in is a clone to the guy that replaced him. So they are the deepest team that respect that we've played.
Tom, talk about Florida's press, what makes it effective and what do you have to do?
Coach Izzo: I think a couple of things make it effective. First of all, Billy's done a great job, I think they're very well coached. They do an incredible job of what we call back-tipping. They come up from behind, knock balls loose, like good pressing teams do. No. 2, they have very good athletes. You have to have great athletes to run that kind of press. No. 3, they have depth. So the good athletes are always fresh athletes because he does a great job of substituting them.
Coach, how important is it to you in terms of building a program as opposed to just building a team to have Magic Johnson here and have Jud here and have them be sort of actively involved in having the tradition?
Coach Izzo: It's been fun for me at Michigan State in the five years I've been the head coach is we've tried to bring the past and the present together. When we are asked how do you build a good program, you know, if you look at Kentucky, Duke, North Carolina and Kansas and whoever else, Indiana around here, it's the players from the past who are so important. And because they're the ones who really started everything.
So we've put a lot into that. These guys are know these guys. I think Steve Smith and Eric Snow are coming in tonight. It's really been fun for me to see those guys from the past come back and honestly enjoy what these guys are trying to accomplish. At the same time in the summers and that, they get to spend some time with them. So it's incredibly important to me in building a program.
Coach, could you talk about your relationship with Billy, how close of friends you are with him and if you know any secrets to that press because of your relationship with him?
Coach Izzo: As far as Billy - Billy and I are good friends. We're not guys who see each other all the time, but I think I have great respect for him and what he's accomplished. I think the job he's done at Florida has been incredible. When you watch them on film, they're very, very well-coached. They run a lot of great things, they're very sound.
I did talk to him quite a bit the other night and got to know him a little bit more than when he was at Kentucky.
He's done a great job. I think there's going to be a lot more success in Billy Donovan's life since he's a young coach, who has really turned the corner I think.
Tom, I'm wondering how important Jud Heathcote was in your getting the Michigan State job.
Coach Izzo: Well, he was about the most important by far. I mean without Jud, I know I wouldn't have this job. There's not even a doubt in my mind. So imperative is probably a better word.
He kind of solely convinced people that I should have the job, and it was, he was on an island for a while, I can promise you that. He was by himself. But as most of you know, Jud's ornery enough and tough enough to handle that and thank God he did. Because I would not have the job if it were not for Jud Heathcote.
Coach, we talked last weekend about dreaming or having an active imagination. I'm wondering if being so close, whether that dream is more vivid or those visions are more vivid after that game tomorrow night?
Coach Izzo: Dreams, I've always told our players that I hope they do dream it. The old adage, if you don't dream it, it's hard to achieve it type thing. I really do believe that. That's why I don't mind if, you know, in a confident but non-cocky way they talk about it. I want my players to have dreams and goals. I said when I got this job, for me it was a dream come true. I didn't think I could get to this level where I was from.
And to see, I guess Mateen, they all stand out, especially the seniors, but I've know Mateen so well, I've seen so many tough times he's been through. The appreciation I have for him coming back, not at my coaxing, I want you to know but this is his dream. If there's ever a guy that had a true dream, as I said yesterday, to hear the One Shining Moment song with his face on it, winning a National Championship, it's Mateen. I think he's probably dreamed it since he was old enough to touch a basketball, and he has the opportunity . And that's all you can ask for, is an opportunity. He's got it. We talk about it. And we're going to find out in a day and a half whether it can become reality.