Head Coach Tom Izzo Quotes
10/15/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Oct. 15, 2003
EAST LANSING, Mich. -
Opening Comments
"A few years back there were a lot of people excited about coming off a Final Four and I said then that five or six years from now we'll see where the program is at, what we've done and if we've gotten far we can make some decisions. After looking at the last five years and seeing some unique stats, telling me where our program has been, how many wins we've had, who we've played, all the things I think are important in building a program I guess we can say that we're holding our own so far."
"And now the next couple years will be the most critical in our development because we've had a turnover in players and a turnover in staff. We've had almost as many turnovers as we had last year during the season. You put all that together and I think there is going to be a lot of pressure on this team, I think expectations are very high."
"As most of you know, we have two new assistant coaches and the loss of Erazem Lorbek. We thought we'd have him when we looked at the schedule. We're going to have to get some more out of some freshmen, which isn't bad, but it isn't always good looking at what you need to take care of."
Comments on the 2003-04 Schedule
"I think the strength of our schedule is second to none and I've said that now a couple times, but after looking at some other teams and teams people have played I don't think there's any question that we've probably bitten off a little more than we can chew. In saying that I think it brings some excitement for myself and our players, hopefully for our fans, and I even hope for you. I hope that you get to see some places that you haven't been, I hope you get to see some teams you haven't seen that much of. I think this is going to be an incredible experience for all of us. There will be some adjustment. Not that Erazem Lorbek was our best player in my mind, but he was a piece of the puzzle and now we're going to have to move some guys into different positions."
"We're going to have to realize in the non-conference that fans can excited about a win or depressed about a loss, but we're not really going to have time to do that. Not only do the games come so quick and with no rest, we can't really beat up on somebody after we lose to somebody. We're going to have to make sure we don't get too high after a win or too low after a loss. Managing that will be a lot harder than managing our playing group. The managing the success and failure in the non-conference will be a step that this program has had to deal with maybe once or twice, but not very often."
Comments on the players
"With the depth that we have, especially at the perimeter, it's going to be a great opportunity for (Alan) Anderson, (Chris) Hill, (Kelvin) Torbert and (Tim) Bograkos. Those guys who kind of came in here and got thrown right into the fire, now they've got some experience and they understand what we want them to do. They have a better understanding of how hard they have to play to be successful. Jason Andreas is coming off an injury - he was out after knee surgery for four months this summer. With (Jason) Andreas being the lone guy from our championship team, he will be able to be a valuable player both by playing and by word of mouth."
Comments on strength and conditioning
"There's no question that we had a great summer with (Paul) Davis and (Maurice) Ager getting some experience internationally and playing quite well. The other guys are all getting a lot bigger, stronger. I think our strength and conditioning coach deserves another pat on the back. I actually enjoy looking at our guys now. They don't look like they're from a poor, foreign country. They look like men. That will be a real plus for us."
Comments on the front line and forwards
"We're going to have to rely on some of the new guys and there is no question that Delco Rowley, Drew Naymick even Justin Ockerman inside a little bit. We are a little bit inexperienced in the front line either in age or in playing experience. Paul Davis has played a lot of minutes in there and only he and Jason Andreas have any kind of experience. I think you look at all those things and it's going to give Delco a chance. We've been pleased with Drew's performance so far and Justin Ockerman just got here after his baseball career, he got here actually a week late, but he's a body that can definitely help us some."
Comments regarding the guards
"Outside we need to get some things from Brandon Cotton and Shannon Brown. What has pleased we most about the practices is that Shannon has worked every bit as hard or harder than any player on this team. Your star players do that and I think we got a lot out of Anderson, Torbert and Hill this summer and fall and when Shannon comes in and works as hard or harder than anyone we have, I think that speaks volumes about him as a person, his character and his skill."
"The juniors that we've had are the only group maybe that have let us all down a little bit in our minds because we were used to winning championships. At least Jason Andreas has a few, both Big Ten and a National Championship but those three juniors haven't really won anything yet. We went to the Elite Eight and that was a great accomplishment and we played some good people and won some good games. But like I've said, I'm not about winning games right now. I'd like to win some championships. That's the goal of those three or four guys, especially with Anderson, Torbert and Hill. I think their battle cry will be to win a championship. That's what we'll try to work on."
Comments on the strengths of this team
"The strengths of this team should be its speed, its quickness and I think its shooting ability and a little bit of its experience, especially in the backcourt. The weaknesses will still be our bigs and our forwards as far as experience and our depth. Injuries will hurt us up there. I think our schedule could be a weakness because if we don't handle it well, that could really be a factor. But still, at the point we're a little bit by-committee, we'll have some question marks."
Comments regarding injuries
"I said last year that we really wanted to be one of the better running teams. We got maligned for that because of how we had to play. I want everyone to know up front that there is nothing you can do about injuries, and we've had our share of them. Last year I talked to Doug Wojcik, our new assistant, and he said 'why didn't you do this, why didn't you do that,' and we started going through our injuries last night on video, I think of the Michigan game, and that really shows our injuries and what we had gone through. We're going to keep our fingers crossed, because we can't afford any injuries up front. When you have them, it really does change your team because you have to move a lot of people."
"We do want to run. We think we are going to a very much-improved offensive team with everybody healthy. I think we have more shooters. Maurice Ager, as you saw in the NCAA Tournament and we said early how good a shooter he was and then when he was injured those two months, he came back to lead us in scoring in I think two of those NCAA games."
Comments on playing time
"Everyone is going to worry about playing time, at least from your standpoint, so that will be something to talk about. Remember that there hasn't been a year when we haven't had some injuries, number one. Number two, playing time always works itself out. It doesn't worry me one bit because you're at the top level because you are to produce or you are going to be taken back some. Playing time will be left up to the determination of the players. I don't see any problem with our playing time. I go back and look at our best teams and those were when we had nine guys with double-digit minute numbers and better. I think that's what we'll have this year."
Comments on the Big Ten Conference
"I think the Big Ten is the best it's been in a lot of years top to bottom. I think you'll see much improvement in Ohio State, Iowa, Michigan, Purdue. I think those teams are going to be vastly improved. Ohio State is one of those sleeper teams that have had four guys sitting out last year that are all players. I've always said that I think Jim O'Brien does a great job. That's going to be a team to watch. I think Illinois and Wisconsin and ourselves are going to be picked by a lot of people and yet Indiana. You've got to remember that with Bracey Wright, before he got hurt, Indiana was a very good basketball team. Losing him was a big loss. I think they'll be improved. That leaves a lot of teams that are capable of beating a lot of people. But I think the conference is going to be good for us. I think it will be a schedule that will be exciting for the fans and I do think it will be a season that will go right down to the last weekend as far as the conference race."
Closing comments
"The schedule, to me, is a big plus not only for us, but for the university. With the game down at Ford Field, the game at the Palace, having Duke at home, going to Kansas and UCLA. Those are the games you dream about but they don't all happen in one year. I think it's good. I think our guys have worked their tail off since the defeat against Texas down in San Antonio. We've had every guy improve in areas like strength and conditioning. I think we are a better conditioned team now. Academically I think we've had an incredible spring and summer. Gaining weight, losing body fat, all the things you want to accomplish in a summer, we've accomplished those. We've stayed pretty much injury free except for Andreas and Paul Davis a little bit with the shoulder."
"I think we have guys that want to win a championship, guys that are willing to work for a championship. They are willing to be teammates and work together which is the tangible difference between the good teams and the great teams."
