Post-Game Quotes: Penn State
1/31/2018 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
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Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo
Opening Statement…
Well, big time win for us, guys. It was really big. Have to take care of some housekeeping. The shirts. The shirts, we… The intent was when we started this thing, "We Talk We Listen" it was led by the players to make a statement about the social inequities that we have. And last Friday when our student body wore the teal shirts, I was amazed how impressed Cassius Winston, Miles (Bridges) some of those guys were. I was actually moved by how powerful it showed the support for the survivors and those guys talked about wanting to be a part of it. So, that's where we went today a little bit. So, wearing the ribbon was our way of reaching out to them.
As far as the game goes, I don't know why we got off to such a poor start. We've just, we've done that a couple of games now. I think that falls on me. A coach's job is to get his team ready to play. What we're confused about is the players actually have practiced harder than they play in the opening 10 minutes, which doesn't make any sense. But, the way we kind of battled back about three different times I think shows some character in our guys and I was impressed with a lot of different guys.
Cassius started out kind of slow and then the second half I told him, 'I'm gunna bring you off the bench. Not as punishment, maybe it would do a better job for ya.' I don't know if it worked or not, but he played pretty hard. I thought (Matt) McQuaid came off the bench and gave us a lot. Jaren (Jackson Jr.) was in foul trouble the whole night, so we had to move some people around and Nick (Ward), Nick got frustrated in the first half. He was, you know, they doubled him hard and we told him they were going to double him. But, he started putting that ball down right away and when he puts that ball down right away it gives them a better chance to double him, so we didn't do a very good job of that early. But, I thought the second half he played with patience, he got the ball out of that double team, we got a dunk, we got a three, we got a couple of drives, we were a lot better. I thought Miles took over a little bit in that stretch which was good for him.
So, all in all when you get a Big Ten win, and don't kid yourself, that is a good Penn State team. You know, they had some losses early because (Josh) Reaves didn't play. He missed four of his first, I think, six games or something. And that kid's a competitor. He's kind of the Tum (Tum Nairn Jr.) of us. He's the engine that runs that team. He had, he's got more motor than maybe anybody on either team. I thought that he's been the difference. He's the reason I thought they beat Ohio State and the other guy that's really playing good is (Tony) Carr. He hit those big shots at the end, but we held him to nine for 24. I thought our defense and rebounding was pretty good, and the other area I think we've been excelling in is our free throw shooting, and that's been great.
So, any questions I'd be more than happy to answer them.
On the Nassar survivors and what Izzo and the team can do to help with the healing process…
Well, we're open to doing anything that helps the healing process to be honest with you. And, but yet there's so many things that have to take place before that. You know, whatever they need, we'll do.
On Travis Walton's statement…
Well, I appreciate the question. And, one thing I've done my whole career is I've had great respect for the media. And you have the right to ask, and unfortunately I have no additional comments. And, you know, it's been, I've given my comments, I have no additional ones. I'll cooperate with the investigation, as I always have with any investigation, but that's about all I'm gunna say about it.
On a timeline of when Izzo will be able to comment…
I think that there will be a time when I get to speak, but it isn't right now. There's too many things going on and, with the survivors and everything, so I'm gunna just stick to my guns and tell you that I still have great support for the survivors, but I'm just not gunna have any comment on this whole situation.
On the decision to put McQuaid on Carr…
It wasn't that Josh (Langford) was doing a bad job on him, it's just that McQuaid is a good defender. I have to say that in fairness to Josh, we did a good job of stepping up. When Nick got a little bit out of it and didn't do his job, he wasn't stepping up enough and that makes the guard look bad. We got those guys to step up a little better. Xavier (Tillman) did a pretty good job of it, and we started switching for it with Miles sometimes. It was a combination, but McQuaid definitely brought, not only with those two 3s, but good defense.
On the past couple of games coming back in the second half…
That's an area I'm proud of this team with. It's, right now, we're playing against good people, but you got to realize that people are playing against a top five team, top four team, and you go to Maryland and those guys are playing for their lives, they're playing for their NCAA tournament bid. So, we're going to get somebody's best shot.
I think Penn State, I am impressed with their team. I do not think they are a 5-5 team. I think they could be an 8-2 or 7-3 team if they had all of their pieces. They don't have a lot of depth, so the depth they have, when he was injured, created a big void for them. It's not just us, other than coach you have to do a better job in those first couple of minutes. But, it's also, you know, a lot of teams are playing… I thought Maryland started out the game, when you hit four out of five 3s, these guys hit some threes from long range early and that's just going to happen.
On his emotions the past two weeks and how the team has responded…
Well guys we don't have to worry about my emotions. We got to worry about my team's emotions. I think my team has responded to the pressure of being No. 1, the noise, everything that's gone on out there. I think they've responded pretty well, you know. We come back, and we're 14 up in the second half. You know, we had a couple of miscues down the stretch. Number one, we threw the ball away and number two, they did a pretty good job and hit a couple of bombs. But you know what? This team's resilient. This team's done a hell of a job staying focused. I mean, we're 21-3. I don't know what the best start in Michigan State history is, but we got to be closing in on it if we're not and I give them a lot of credit.
On how challenging it is to stick to the script and how difficult it is to focus on preparing to coach...
You know what? I'm preparing to coach every day. That's what I do. I'm a coach. I'm not a reporter; I'm not a fan. I'm a coach. I just got to do my job, and I'm going to try to do the best that I can and still in the back of my mind, always keep those survivors in it. They matter to me and the healing process at Michigan State matters to me.
On Cassius (Winston)'s responses...
Cassius Winston and his comments on the shirts and then just the way he handled that… You know, because our fans are important to us. Our student body is important to us. It's important to those kids, and I think there was a bond there because they were so impressed. They wanted to be, you know, like them, they wanted to feel like them. They wanted to do something. They wanted to help out. That's where this whole thing came today. You know, it's kind of neat when a University does come together like that, especially the student body. Those are students. The players are students and the fans are the students.
On the calls for him to speak out and if he's being advised not to…
Well, advised to is a, you know… Those of you that know me, I mean, I'm going to do what I think is right. But ... I'm just… I'm sorry. I really am because I watch a lot of TV, and I see on shows that, you know, everybody thinks everybody has the right to (ask the question) and I've always believed that. I mean, I've always been a fan of the media. But I got to have my rights too and I'm just gonna… When time comes, I'll be able to speak out and I know it might be frustrating but it's just what I got to do.
On if this has been the toughest week in his 23 years…
In what way? You know, when you lose to Middle Tennessee, that's a tough week.
On if that's as bad as this…
I don't know, you know. I have an understanding of what is going on, at the best I can. I'm just going to handle it by keep working, keep my mouth shut and do my job. When the time comes, I'm gonna address the things that I need to address.
On if he has a yearning to vouch for and defend his program but just can't…
I don't know if I can't. I can do whatever I want to do. But I just don't think it's the right time, right now. And again, I apologize but I'm gonna just stick to that right now.
On if he's surprised turnovers are still lingering this late in the year…
That's a good question. Not any surprise but really disappointed. You know, I just don't know why we started the game… I think we had four in the first two minutes. You know, I think that's the thing that bothers me the most about this team and the most about my staff and myself because you've got to be able to get that corrected if you're a coach. So I'm really gonna do what I do when I struggle a little bit; I'm going to look in the mirror and figure out how I can do a better job because it's not always on the players, you know, maybe there's some things that I'm thinking they can do that they can't do but I'm gonna do a better job of trying to curve it, you know. Although I think we're at 12 and then we turned it over three times at the end, is that kind of the way it went? Or 13. So, you know, after a real rough start we had a decent next 30 minutes and then the last couple we were, we were awful. I appreciate you, and I'll look forward to seeing you down in Indiana.
Penn State head coach Patrick Chambers
On the feeling of being up 12 at one point in the game…
We played really good basketball for a long time. We got into foul trouble when Stevens and Watkins went out, that's when they went on the run and that's unfortunate because I'd like to see our five versus their five for a longer time, because I think Michigan State knows that we're a pretty good basketball team and we're going to fight.
On if the win over Ohio State gave them confidence going into tonight's game…
Yeah we're confident. It's the No. 5 team in the country, and I felt like going into their house with a good crowd that we went toe-to-toe and we didn't back down. We kept fighting until the end. I'm really proud of my guys because a lot of the times I've seen teams watching film and the last four minutes becomes like a dunk show. It becomes a circus and we didn't let that happen. As a matter of fact, we caught up to two possessions and gave ourselves a chance and that's all you can ask for.
On Carr's back-to-back 3s…
Yeah, Tony Carr had a great game all around. I thought he played really well. One of the best players on the floor for sure. I'd give them credit, I mean they went on that big run, big stretch. I think what bridged them back is McQuaid 3s. You know, you don't really count on him coming off of the bench. I know he's averaging a few points, but those two 3s really catapulted them to a stronger lead.
On the execution of their game plan…
Yeah I thought we did a good job. The kids executed the game plan very well, but again, Watkins gets in foul trouble, and I thought Ward should've been in foul trouble. But, we're at Michigan State.
On only having two guys scoring in double figures tonight…
Absolutely. We got to get Shep (Garner) more shots and I was trying to. But, they played very good defense on him and took away his 3s. You know we need Josh Reaves and we need Mike (Watkins) and again he got in foul trouble but we need him to play bigger and to make some bigger plays for us and that's on us. I got to make sure I get him the ball where he's more comfortable.
Sophomore forward Miles Bridges
On what made the difference today against Penn State...
We don't want to lose any more home games. We knew that they would come out strong, but we didn't take their punching and run with it. We kind of backed down a little bit, then in the second half, we took all the punches, and we responded. That was the difference today.
On the lack of energy in the first half...
I really don't know. That's just something that me and Tum have to deal with before the game. Maybe we need to have a new routine before the game. It's really up to us to have the energy.
On the crowd's energy feeding the team...
I truly believe we've got the best fans in the nation. They show up every game, through hard times, easy times. They're always there for us, so we just want to continue to make them proud.
On who got them back into the game...
(Matt) McQuaid, Nick (Ward), Josh (Langford), they really got us back into this game.Their energy, their focus, that's what really got us going, but our defense was the one that really got us going. McQuaid did a great job. Josh did a great job on Tony Carr.
On the getting the ball low to Nick Ward...
Yeah, any time you get the ball to Nick, something good is going to happen. If he just takes his time, we'll get the ball moving. That's really where offense starts, down low.
Sophomore guard Joshua Langford
On what the team adjusted in order to win...
I just think we came out with a different fire. We got down coming in after halftime, but the biggest thing is we have to make sure we come out better and start better. You know, we came out, you know, we figured out what we had to get better at and that's what we did. We won the game on the defensive end, hands down. Our shots were going in, but the defensive end was where we won.
On Penn State double-teaming Nick Ward...
Yeah, definitely. Actually, it may seem weird, but the double-team actually, it helps our offense. When they double Nick, it leaves somebody open and if you do it the right way, it's always been a benefit. We got it in the post because, early on our shots kind of weren't falling, so our post got bigger and that's where we wanted to get to, and that's what we do.
On the environment at the Breslin Center...
Our crowd is crazy. It's always great to be able to play in an environment like that and have people supporting you.
On what they can take away from today's game...
We've got to come out better, period, and take care of the ball. Those are things that if we don't fix it, it'll hurt us in the long run. If we fix those things, everything else will take care of itself.
On the challenge Penn State brought...
They're a really good team, especially when they play against other top teams. Playing in the Big Ten, you never know what you're going to get, but you know you're always going to get a good game every night. Penn State is a great team. They gave us a great challenge. They've got great players on their team as well.
Junior guard Matt McQuaid
On the defense…
Yeah I think in the second half we did a better job, especially on the rebounding and being in our gaps. That really made a difference. The bigs were up a lot better on ball screens, and it was a lot easier to get over them for me. My teammates really helped me on Carr. They were always stunting. I was trying to give him a tough shot and my teammates would come and clean a rebound out, so it was team effort on the defensive end.
On the team's offense…
"Yeah, I thought we also ran a lot better in the second half too, and it opened up a lot of things, especially for Nick (Ward), so we could get him going. Cash (Winston) and Tum (Nairn Jr.) did a great job setting people up and we did our thing on the offensive end in the second half and turned it around.
On Penn State as a tough opponent…
Yeah, that was a real tough team. They came out hitting and swinging. Garner and Carr, they were hitting shots, tough shots. They just kept going and going and never quit. They put up a good fight.
On the crowd…
I thought that was one of the loudest games of the year. The crowd really helped us in that game. You know, they were with us every step of the way. They were being loud, and it really helps when you're out there on the court.
