Player Quotes From Media Day
10/8/2002 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Oct. 8, 2002
Chris Hill
On the possibility of playing more point guard this season ...
"I'm looking forward to it. We have Rashi (Johnson) too, who is doing a great job on picking up on things and learning the program. I think last year helped me out a lot, getting to have some of that and getting to watch Marcus (Taylor) play and seeing and picking up on different things. So it's going to be a big challenge, but I think the team has helped me as much as they can along and it's going to be a process where we are going to have to work together and I'm looking forward to it."
On the increased depth of this year's Spartan squad ...
" I think it will be a huge advantage. Last year, there were seven or eight guys that played so many minutes and as good as an opportunity and experience as that was, it made it very difficult to be able to go for 100 percent the entire game, simply because you play so many minutes and get tired. This year, I think we are going to have the opportunity to get more breaks and the freshman have done just a great job coming in and working hard and picking up on the way we play here and I think the better they can do the more minutes they can provide. I think that just that freshness and depth will help us out a lot and allow us to do more things."
On the possibility of being a team leader ...
"It's something that I'm really looking forward to. I sat down with Coach Izzo at the end of the season and that was something we talked about. The leadership thing would be a huge, huge responsibility, not only for myself but also for guys like (Adam) Ballinger, (Aloysius) Anagonye and both with KT (Kelvin Torbert) and Alan (Anderson), just because we've been here. But we do have new guys that we need to come in and play right away so that's something that I think falls on my shoulders and their shoulders as well. From a point guard position, it's gonna be a challenge, but it's something I'm definitely looking forward to."
On the play of Paul Davis ...
"Paul has had a great summer and fall, as have they all. But I'd actually never seen Paul play, I'd just heard about him being a McDonald's All-American. The athleticism that he has for as big as he is and as well as he shoots, it maybe separates him from a lot of the big men from around the country. I think he can do tremendous things for us this year."
Thoughts about Erazem Lorbek, both on and off the court ...
"Actually, with Erazem, I didn't really know what to expect. As far as on the basketball court, the finesse and skill that he has is more than I thought he would have. He has a great touch around the basket and he also has a good shot, so from that standpoint he surprised me. As far as off the court, it seems like every single day he's learning more and more about the culture. He always has new words. He has a great sense of humor, which is something that we all appreciate and I think that's important for a family-type atmosphere like we have here."
On Tim Bograkos ...
"When you have a guy that plays as hard as Tim does and can come in and give you minutes any time you need them and being such a good defensive player, I think there's always a spot for someone like Tim. He's really got a lot to teach the younger guys about playing hard. To me, as hard as he plays, that's what a Michigan State basketball player has come to be like, and I think the younger guys and all of us can learn a lot from him."
Kelvin Torbert
On high expectations last season ...
"The longer it goes on, the more it's going to wear on you. No matter how hard you try to block it out, it's going to get to you some how. You just have to try your best not to think about things like that, but just go out and play ball."
What pointers did you get from the NBA players when they visited ...
"When they came in they basically gave all of us pointers on our games. They are pros so all of us take in what they say and use it to try to improve our game."
On the pressure to increase his scoring with Marcus' departure ...
"It is something I'm used to now. I've been through a year of pressure so I don't think that's going to bother anyone on this team. We've all had ups and downs, so that makes us a better team right there."
Alan Anderson
What kinds of things did you work on specifically this summer ...
"Mostly, us wing guards worked on our perimeter, one dribble, two dribble pull ups, coming down on the break and pulling up. Pretty much pulling up and shooting, ball handling and getting to the basket."
Even though it's early, can you tell if this team has the camaraderie it takes to be successful ...
"We've come a long way. The first year guys came in, and not really knowing what to expect, they sat down with us because we've been through it already. So they just listened to us, and they are good listeners, too. With guys like Ager, and Johnson, you can just tell these guys are hungry.
What does Coach Izzo tell the team about creating a tradition at Michigan State ...
"Just taking this team to a whole new level, from how we treat others, how we talk, how we look. Little things. Things we do on the court, like being coaches to our teammates instead of relying on Coach to do everything."
Aloysius Anagonye
On the desire to win a Big Ten championship in his senior season...
"It's not just me, it's everybody. That's the great part about this year. It's not just my focus because its my last year. Everybody is focused on winning a championship. It's about what we want to do for Michigan State. It's not just motivation for me. It's the motivation for this whole team."
On taking on a leadership role...
"I think that every senior in the country is looking forward to that. It's your last year, so if you're a senior and you're not looking forward to being a leader, then you shouldn't be playing basketball."
On the depth of this team... "It gives us a chance to do what we want to do. We want to keep an up-tempo pace and we want to keep fresh bodies in there. It reminds me of my freshmen year and that's really exciting for me."
On building a tradition with this team...
"Well, I was fortunate enough to be a part of this team when I had people who were not just talking about winning championships, but they had been there. They explained what it felt like and I want to go out and experience it and let everyone on this team have that feeling."
Jason Andreas
On his goals for this team...
"It's to win the Big Ten Championship and to win the national championship. Those were the goals that were here when I was a freshman. They were set by the guys like Mateen (Cleaves), Morris (Peterson) and A.J. (Granger). We're excited to do that again. And when the freshman came in, they had something to base it off of. We set our goals high and we immediately got to work. We only took a week off this spring and I think we had one of our best springs we've had here. We had a really good summer. The freshmen were able to work out with us this summer and meet the guys with more experience. Adam (Ballinger), Aloysius (Anagoyne) and I went to the Pete Newell Big Man Camp to develop our skills. We were able to show the guys back here and pass on the knowledge we gained. We've had a great fall. Coach Izzo set our goals higher than he ever has before. He wants us to score more points and have a more exciting tempo to the game. He wants us to run more than we ever have and get down and play Michigan State basketball the way it's supposed to be played."
Adam Ballinger
On being a senior and a leader...
"Now we've got some more young guys on the team, but I think that maybe my role is about the same as last year. I just try to reiterate what this program is all about. Coach Izzo has always given a lot of the leadership opportunities to the seniors, so that's a big thing for me. I think Al (Anagoyne) is the leader on this team. He has been since I've been here. He and I work together on certain leadership things, but vocally that's where he really stands up."
On the freshman class... "All of our freshmen are really skilled and not just underneath the basket - they aren't one-dimensional. They're athletically gifted and pretty impressive."
Rashi Johnson
On his playing days through high school, junior college and now at MSU...
"I try and take one day at a time and just stay focused. Because of the way things worked out for me, I just feel fortunate and take that blessing every day and strive with it. I'm sort of a freshman in the fact that I'm a newcomer. The guys joke about it a lot - me being a newcomer, even though I'm a junior. I don't consider my play as a freshman, though. I've had college-level experience, so in that case I'm not so new.
On the differences between high school and college...
"I think the strength is going to be huge. Before, everyone's strength was the same and I may have even been a little bit stronger in high school. But now, the people I guard are my height and bigger. It's going to be tough, but practicing over the summer and playing with the big men we have on the team, it's going to definitely get me prepared."
On looking forward to his first game at MSU...
"I think that first game at home will be huge with the Izzone. I've been going to games for three years, but I think that when that game hits, it's going to be a totally different feeling. To look up and to see all those people cheering. The team is hungry and you can tell that they're excited for it."
Erazem Lorbek
On choosing to come to Michigan State...
"I talked to people and they all said Michigan State is one of the best schools and they have a good basketball program. Coach Izzo was one of the main points."
