Michigan State vs. Ohio State Postgame Quotes
2/15/2017 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
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Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo
Opening Statement…
Well, I just have to accept that we are a grinder team. Every time we have a big lead, nine points, 12 points, we just find a way to make us uncomfortable. But give us credit, we grinded it out. So, I guess we aren't going to be pretty, but pretty doesn't get you any wins anyway. Before I go into anything, I have to tell you that I do a lot of work to try to somewhat control the Izzone. If there's some things not being said, I email them and talk to them, and catch help both ways - if too much is being said, if not enough is being said. But, I have to be honest with you. I was kind of getting upset at the chants of (Dan) Dakich…until I got in the locker room. I asked, 'What was that all about?' And somebody read me his tweets. The social media. If I would have known that before the game, I would have embarrassed myself almost as much as he embarrassed himself and I would have led the chants. Because calling us whiners and that is kind of unprofessional. Classy broadcasters like George Blaha and everybody else wouldn't have even thought to do something like that on TV. But, saying our students couldn't get in there? And he's doing games for Michigan when his son is there? That is a disappointment and that is ridiculous. I think it's funny because I have no respect for him for that and I am going to publicly say that. You can tweet it, you can read it, you can do whatever you want with it. But Twitter got him in trouble and he earned it. I am surprised that ESPN would let someone say something like that, that works for them. That's off my chest now, another one for Twitter…Danny owes our fans and our students an apology. I probably won't get it. But you know, I always got along with Dan, but as you know, it seems like this year a lot of people have been mad at me. But, I would have loved to get in that Izzone and join those chants. If I was on Twitter…Thank God I'm not, thank God some of my friends are. So, that was the commercial today and now we will get back to the game.
I thought we played very, very good basketball at times. I'm a little disappointed in you guys on that because you're all just looking like that was okay. You think that was okay?
God bless you because I don't tweet. Everybody knows who's saying it…But, at times, I thought we played really good basketball. I'm telling you, that is a good basketball team. They have talented, veteran guys that are hard to guard. We struggled with the dribble-penetration first half. We had a couple guys who just couldn't guard anybody. I thought Miles (Bridges) had a very average game and I told him that after the game. What I really like though, is that when he gave up five points in a row, it was the first time in a while that it was a gut check for him. Like great players do, he rose to the occasion and that may be the best thing I got out of tonight. Now, Alvin Ellis stepped up. Nick Ward did a pretty good job. We covered the ball screens better, we just didn't have some guys that defended as well as we needed them to. But, when you ask me about our substitutions and you know, why this team turns it over, we're going to improve on it. We had five turnovers in the first half and eleven in the second, but we're a grinder team guys, and I'm proud of my guys for being that way. It's a blue-collar team and I don't mind people calling me a blue-collar coach, a blue-collar team. So, all-in-all, I think we beat a good team. There is pressure on these guys, everybody knows. I already unleashed the white elephant in the room and already talked about it, but I was proud of my guys tonight for hanging in there. We've been practicing better. We've been playing better. It's those stretches you know, up 12, up one. Up nine, down one. I think I've done a poor job using my timeouts. I know in the NBA, you know, someone goes maybe on a six-point run and there's automatically a timeout. But those guys have 20 of them and when they cut our extra timeout it really makes it hard for me to do that. I think I've done a poor job of that and I really think I'm going to have to reevaluate my own ability to stop runs like that. Questions, I'd love to answer them.
On Alvin Ellis III's performance tonight…
Well, it's funny, because I started my pre-game speech out with…When I got in this morning and started doing some work, I walked into our video room and heard the ball bounce. I look down and I see Alvin Ellis shooting with one of my GA's. And that's how I started out my speech because you know, that didn't happen a lot in the last three years. I don't know. Like I said, I think everything tonight is about getting what you deserve. Danny will get what he deserves and Alvin got what he deserves. So, America is a great country.
On Miles Bridge's getting more rest and Nick Ward's performance…
First of all with Miles, Dwayne Stevens did a great job, he deserves the credit. I told him that we have to get him out before timeouts, we have to sit him a minute, we have to do this and that. 31 minutes, maybe that's a little low. But if we can use the timeouts better, I think we can get him to 34 and get him more rest. But DJ did a hell of a job on that and deserves the credit on that. And Nick Ward, you know, as all of you know, I enjoy the ruckus that goes on in games, or practice, or at halftime. You know, Nick is (Derrick) Nix at times. But this last two weeks, week-and-a-half, he's really taken a big step up. I'm afraid to give him too much credit, but I really do. He has to learn how to kick it out a little better, posting up deeper and harder, he's doing a better job on the ball screens. He's just a lot more focused. Alvin was great and Miles was great, but a couple plays Nick did some things that would have helped us win two or three games, including going 5-6 from the free throw line, that's pretty good. You have to give him, and give DJ credit on that too. Maybe DJ should coach the team. He did a hell of a job with him on the free throw shooting too.
On beginning the game and throwing the first punch…
Well, we've been talking about it in practice. How are we going to bring these in practice? I told you before the Michigan game, I thought we had three good practices. After this game, we had a bunch of good practices. We're going longer. People wonder why we're playing more people. We're going two and a half hours, which this time of year is really weird. But, there's so much teaching to be done, there's so many young guys. It's just the way I have to do it. To be able to practice like that, good, at this time of year, I think speaks volumes for the guys. So I told them, I apologized to them. I said, 'You know, it's what we have to do and we're going to do it.' They're jumping in. I thought we did come out. My whole battle cry is: Can we take the practice to the game? Can we take the practice to the game? I thought we did that. All of those punches, we still have our moments and all of a sudden we just didn't guard anybody for that one stretch. I don't know what they ended up shooting, 41 percent? They were down in the 30s quite a bit of the time, so we did a decent job on that. We wanted to get off to a good start, especially with our home crowd. They were great. The guys were great. I'm telling you, that's a good basketball team and sometimes we have those four freshmen out there and they had some veterans and it's just different to look at it from the bench because sometimes it looks like boys against men. Except for Miles.
On role players playing with confidence…
I've been telling you guys about Josh Langford forever. He's got a sweep and goes baseline. First play of the game he's got a sweep and goes baseline. Last game he did that. And the offensive rebound. I said he'd be a Charlie Bell, a Jason Richardson, Gary Harris, all of the guys that did such a good job in that position. I spent a lot of time talking to him about it in the last three weeks. I can see him starting to come on it. He's starting to do a better job. He's getting better defensively. He's going to be a hell of a player because he's smart, he works and he cares. I thought he did a great job. Kyle Ahrens has been playing a little better. He's the one guy that can shoot the ball. So if we get Miles some minutes with him, that was good. You're right, we had a lot of role players. Cassius (Winston) did a lot of great things. He struggled defensively, but he had nine assists and three turnovers so we're still growing in that area but it's getting better. I think the guys knew that we had a grind it out game. The locker room, they felt good about that. That's how it's going to be for us. We're not gorgeous, we're just valentines. Nobody probably got any cards on our team. We're not the darlings of Valentine's Day, we're just the grinders.
On Alvin Ellis deciding to stay at MSU instead of transferring…
Hey, there were times that I questioned Alvin Ellis. What I thought he did for two years is not what you need to do to play at this level. Last year, he started playing a little better and this year he had the one thing that this team doesn't have a lot of--he's tough. He's a tough kid. He started making shots. Believe it or not, he's been really good defensively the last two games, three games. I'm happy for Alvin. Any time a kid goes through tough times, this day in age when everybody transfers, quits their job, gets a new job, change here, change there, go to three high schools, four AAU teams, all of the things. It might be a heck of a deal for him and a great way to go out as a senior, so I'm happy for him and proud of him and excited, because hopefully it'll teach him life lessons that you don't just get to leave places, sooner or later you need to look in the mirror and say, 'Am I doing my job?' And I think he's done that and he's worked a lot harder and good things are happening.
On the tempo for tonight…
Well, a couple of things that happened tonight. Points off turnovers were 20-19. Usually when we're up in turnovers that kills us. Second chance points, 12-8. Fast break points, 20-4. Probably the best stat of all, and this is what you have to love about this team, 20 assists on 25 baskets. Very unselfish play. Nick missed a couple of kick-outs but other than that. Guys are looking for one another too much sometimes but I was pleased how we ran. I was pleased with the pass Cassius threw to Miles. That was an incredible play. There's going to be a lot more of them if we can just get a little more consistent and a little less turnovers. You're going to hear that until hopefully March.
On turnovers and guys trying to do too much…
Well, some of them are those freshmen trying to do too much. Sometimes guys try to do too much because other guys aren't doing their job. Once in a while, guys aren't rolling or in the position they need to be in. Once in a while, I'll be honest with you, defenses are pretty good. We said about Thad's defense, they get their hands on a lot of balls. We warned Miles that if he's driving, there are going to be guys slapping at it. They did a good job of that. Sometimes the credit goes to the other team, too. I thought that Ohio State, I mean we punched them three times. They answered the bell on all three. Give them credit on the road, too.
Ohio State head coach Thad Matta
On what the difference was between tonight and the last matchup...
We couldn't get over the hump. We couldn't make the plays. We couldn't even make the plays. Obviously at the start, Michigan State slash [Alvin] Ellis got off to, he was on fire. The foul trouble got us, especially in the first half. But we just couldn't make the plays. We got the shots we wanted, they wouldn't go down for us. I give them credit. They made some big-time plays.
On making adjustments when a player plays well that you didn't game plan for...
Yeah, you know, but it happens to us quite a bit. I think it just, the other day one kid, a five goes 3-4 against us. I mean, somehow, some way, you have to adjust to his basketball. You have a guy with a hot hand, you have to find a way to attempt to slow him down a little bit, and we weren't able to do that.
On if there was a fatigue factor with JaQuan Lyle/the team with Michigan State's running the style of play tonight...
Yeah, probably. I thought JaQuan was pretty solid today for not doing a whole lot here last week. But, you know, once we got established with our transition defense, we did a much better job. We wanted to guard the half court actions and they made some big plays. Ahrens' three, Bridges' three over in the corner, those ones were kind of back breakers for us.
On what got his team to the hump that they couldn't get over...
Obviously the ball went in for us a little bit and I thought we did a better job of getting back. We had two rebounds we had and lost out of bounds. Those were the plays. I thought our guys competed. C.J. [Jackson] had a couple of wide open looks, JaQuan had a three that could have tied it and didn't shoot it. But I told these guys, we're right there, we gotta find a way to make the plays we need to make in the right time.
On JaQuan's mental standpoint, as he just got back yesterday...
He's good. He was fine. No changes, he was actually kind of glad to be back and be around the guys.
On these past few games helping his team turn the corner...
I think so, but we're just leaving too much out on the table still. There comes a point where you have to, it's a one time and out. You have to get this stop, we have to make this free throw, or, you know, the and ones that sit on the rim. But I think we're making progress, but obviously we're not there yet.
On if he knew how many minutes he was going to be able to get from JaQuan tonight...
Really didn't. Probably played a little more than we wanted to just because of the foul trouble we were in. I thought everybody was going to foul out in the first half.
On if JaQuan wore down in the second half...
Yeah, he probably did. But, you know, I mean, that sort of is what it is.
On picking up the defense on Bridges...
Yeah, I did. Tremendous player, obviously. He had an unbelievable game against us in game one, I think we were a little bit more heightened in what he tried to do. They did a great job of moving him around to the post and the perimeter, putting him in driving situations. He was, down the stretch was probably the difference.
Freshman guard Joshua Langford
On getting off to a quick start …
I just feel like we had great practices before this game, and I just feel like our mindset has been really different since the Michigan game. I feel like we've been coming in focused all the time. So we came out just focused, and then Alvin Ellis got going. We turned the ball over more than we wanted to, but it was a good win.
On staying focused …
I just think it's more of a mindset. Mentally, you just have to be telling yourself, 'I have to do this for my team'. I feel like if you really put yourself aside and focus on doing your job, it makes it easier, because you're always thinking about somebody else, not thinking about yourself.
On his put-back dunk …
The whole year the coaches have been really getting into me continuously about crashing the glass. Defensive glass, offensive glass - that was a play where I just needed to go in and make a play. Whether I just got a tip or a put-back like I did, I just wanted to go in and be aggressive.
On his first dunk in college …
It was great, especially because we got the win. It's just exciting to be able to get that dunk. I feel like that really got our momentum going even more. It was just exciting.
On his game starting to develop …
I think it's been a different process for me. I feel like the game is starting to slow down for me, though. I didn't shoot the ball as well as I wanted to tonight, but I feel like I still played hard, and like I contributed to the team.
Senior guard Alvin Ellis
On his hot start …
After the first one went in, I was just going to keep shooting it until I missed. My teammates did a great job of finding me in transition. It's really fun. When things are falling like that, you can't do anything but have fun out there. Everybody is all hyped up and the crowd gets into it. There's nothing like it.
On stopping the Buckeye runs …
When we got it going, we just knew we had to lock in on defense. We need to do the smaller things that we didn't do the first game we played them. Rebounding, turning the ball over, things like that. We did a great job of that.
On the crowd tonight …
When the crowd is like that, it's all fun. You can't do anything but have fun and be into the game. When your teammates are into it and everyone is hyped like that.
On Josh Langford's big dunk …
Oh man, we haven't seen that all season. I don't even think we've seen that in practice. He came out of nowhere. When he did that, that was the icing on the cake right there.
On everyone getting involved …
When everyone is involved like that, everyone is having fun - there's not arguing or things like that. It's all fun. Nobody has to talk back to the coach or anything. Everyone has fun.
Freshman forward Miles Bridges …
On the importance of this win …
We're just getting better every day. We're practicing hard, rebounding - we just need to continue to get better.
On shutting down Ohio State's runs …
That just shows the maturity of the team. That shows that we're growing. The freshmen are getting kind of older, we're starting to learn how to close out games and win games. Then our seniors are really starting to lead us.
On the crowd tonight …
They we're crazy. Alvin Ellis picked the crowd all the way up, and since then they were really loud the rest of the way. They're the best fans in the country, and they're like a sixth man to us.
On Alvin Ellis getting hot …
Alvin has been putting in the work, so I really think he deserves this. He's just going to continue to get better. To me, he's a pro player. He's smart, he can shoot, he can do everything on the court. I'm just happy that he had a big game today.
On the biggest takeaway from this game …
We're just growing as a team. We're getting better defensively, offensively, rebounding, and we're learning how to win games.
