Morris Peterson Reflects On Time At MSU
1/16/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 16, 2009
EAST LANSING, Mich. -
Jersey Retirement Release
Morris Peterson will become the ninth player in Michigan State history to have his jersey retired in a pre-game ceremony scheduled to begin at approximately 3:40 p.m. The 2000 All-American and Big Ten Player of the Year took time out of his NBA schedule on Friday morning to hold a teleconference with Michigan State media and reflect on his experiences as a Spartan.
On having his number retired to the rafters of Breslin Center ...
I can't even put it into words. I remember going to Breslin (Center) my first time and looking up into the rafters and seeing all the great guys who have been through Michigan State. To have my name mentioned with those guys is just a tremendous honor and something I am definitely looking forward to and will remember the rest of my life.
On his expectations heading into Michigan State ...
Honestly, when I first got to school, you go in with your peers and guys you played against in high school you just really want to fit. After a while I realized I could be a good player and that was something that drove me. I didn't really have high expectations, never thought I would have my jersey retired, but I think it is an honor and something I am grateful for and something I am always going to remember. To be able to walk into that gym 20-years from now and show my kids or my grandkids is just a tremendous honor for me.
On how much he grew from freshman year to fifth year ...
It was like night and day. Coach stayed on me from day one. I remember coming in my first year. I knew it was going to be hard but the first day we started running, I couldn't even run a mile, I ran a mile in probably the slowest time you could ever imagine. From that day I can say I started at the bottom, I started at the worst a guy could probably come in. I didn't come in in great shape. I wasn't real responsible and I needed to mature. By my last season I had it down, and I remember one thing that really helped change me was when I got left off from the Hawaii trip my freshman year, I was missing class, I just wasn't doing the things I was supposed to do. Coach told me if I miss one more class, I was going to miss the Hawaii trip. He knew I was looking forward to it and I set my alarm clock the very same night, because I had an eight o-clock class. I set it for seven o-clock, and when I woke up it was 7:50, and my class was just about to start but it was on the other side of campus and there was no way I was going to be able to get to class. I looked up and I had set my alarm clock for 7 p.m., so when I came into the office I knew I was in trouble. Coach held a big meeting and said "Morris, you can't go to Hawaii." That really taught me a lesson, so I stayed in the players' lounge throughout the whole trip and I told myself that when the guys get back I am going to be a changed man. I think I never looked back from there.
On the importance of staying in touch with the program after graduation ...
That is important to me because the guys before me, Steve Smith, Shawn (Respert) and Eric (Snow) and those guys and even Magic, coming up, if I didn't have those guys to look up to, those guys set the bar for me, I think it is important for me to see those guys and to see them being involved. I am just trying to carry the torch on, that has been my biggest thing. Being raised in Flint, we have such great basketball players, and guys to look up to, not a lot of people have that. I was fortunate to have that, and I know how important it was for me and I know how important it is for the kids after me, because we have to keep this thing going and that is something I have always told myself. I've put myself in the position to do that, I try to help out and be around and I try to let the guys know that they have my support.
On the process of committing to Michigan State ...
When coach came to my house he told me, "I am going to be the head coach next year, it's going to be my first year, and I am looking for guys to grow with. I am looking for some guys to win a national championship with." He put it all out there, and he said you know what, "we are going to win a national championship if you come to school here." Antonio Smith was the first one to commit. I remember when I was looking at other schools Antonio would call me everyday or he would come by the house and he would be like, "you know you don't have any other choice but to come to Michigan State." He kinda bullied me too, Antonio wasn't the average freshman, he was bigger than a lot of the other guys. Plus I think we wanted to do something special. Once we got Mateen (Cleaves) and Charlie (Bell), we felt like we could compete with anyone.
On ever second guessing his decision to come to Michigan State ...
One thing about me is when things aren't going my way I try to look myself in the mirror. I never want to blame anyone else and I was given a chance to be on scholarship and play basketball, do something I love doing. I never was the type when things aren't going your way to try and run. I wanted to face anything that was in front of me and that never really crossed my mind. A couple times I got discouraged or might have said Michigan State isn't the place for me. But, I always bled green, and I grew up watching the Spartans and I loved being a part of this family.
On this year's team ...
I think they have come a long way since the beginning of the season. I know coach likes to schedule tough games at the beginning to kinda give the guys a test. I thought early on guys weren't playing up to the level that we think they can, or to what they should be. I think as of late those guys have done a great job. I talk to Marquise (Gray) a lot, he texts me from time to time, and I give him my input. Lately those guys have done a great job, they work hard and I just try to tell them that they are going to get out of this game what they put in. If you get in the gym and are doing extra, it is going to pay out sooner or later. Just hang in there. And I also try to talk to the guys about playing with a target on your back. I remember coming in my senior year, we were No. 1, we lost a couple games early and people kinda counted us out. I want to let those guys know that it is never too late to turn things around, and also if you put in the time, it is going to come out.
On his favorite moment at Michigan State ...
I guess my favorite moment was realizing we had just won a national championship. That is something that always replays in the back of my mind, when Mateen (Cleaves) and I ran to each other and hugged. It was almost like all the hard work that we had done, all the sweat, blood and tears that we had put in, the extra work, everything we did was for this moment.
On the process of having his number retired ...
Well coach and I had talked about it for a couple years. Me, being in Toronto was always hard for me to get a day. For some reason, our schedules always conflicted. I think coach tried to trick me recently, he was like we want to try and get you down for the game, hang out with the guys and he did that Saturday against Kansas. I knew something was kinda fishy when he said that. When he found out I couldn't make it we talked about it more in-depth. It is just something I am grateful for, and it is just something I can't even put into words how excited I am about it.
