Michigan State University Athletics
Photo by: Christopher McAuliffe
Tom Izzo On-Campus Media Day Quotes
10/16/2026 12:10:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Opening Statement…
It's a bigger crowd, you must think I'm resigning, huh? Wow.
Well, believe it or not, it's good to see you all again. It's been a long summer, pretty good summer, and an exciting year, I hope. Can't believe it's already opening up, but I am excited to be back for the new season, get it underway. Between the summer and the start of practice, we've been through a lot together. We've had some injuries this summer—some small injuries, thank God nothing real big.
My biggest concern right now is not who we are, even though that's a big concern, but who the other teams are. I think that's been the hardest thing: trying to figure out where you are compared to who you've got to play. That's always important as far as expectations getting too out of control—which they will get out of control, because we have one of the teams that's a good team, and we all know the Final Four is in Detroit. And yet that has nothing to do with anything in the big picture when you haven't played an exhibition game yet.
We've already played one exhibition game, and we were okay. I thought our young guys really looked young the first time we put them in. Subbing by hockey lines is sometimes what I do, especially in the first exhibition game. It's not necessarily great for anybody, meaning our players—other than to get the definite opportunity to play. It's not great, though, having a bunch of freshmen in there without some juniors and seniors to show them the way. So, we'll probably mix and match a little bit more in the game coming up.
The game coming up is UConn, who was in everybody's top five or ten. Like last year, it'll be a good test for us. The problem now when you're playing these big exhibition games is you have to figure out what exhibition games are really for: to see what you have, to see how your team improved, to see what guys fit with what guys, to mix up the lineups, see who's improved, and get an idea.
The great thing for me is getting an idea against a team and a coach that I know pretty well. I know Danny (Hurley) real well. We're both looking for the same thing: to see where our team's at. After last year—he didn't say it right after the game, but to show you how crazy it is: we didn't play very well out there last year, and he called me a couple weeks later after we had beaten Arkansas or somebody really good, and said, "God, I was worried for you, because I thought your team was awful." Only Danny (Hurley) could be honest like that. I would have said the same thing to him. I said, "We were awful, but you had something to do with it. But I knew we were better than what we played." That's part of the preseason: you've got to make sure you keep it all in perspective.
We have Connecticut, and then we go on the road to Marquette. Hoping Fred Heumann would travel with us so he could see the Brewers play, that's about the only reason we're playing that game (Izzo jokingly said). But we are playing Marquette over there on that Sunday afternoon. Shaka Smart is on some committees with me; I really respect what Shaka's done there, and I think it'll be a different test, but a good test for us before we start moving on.
As far as our team is concerned, I like the group. Especially like the experience we have. For the most part, it's a group that has been together for two and three years, led by Jeremy (Fears Jr.) and Coen (Carr). No question—both of them, I thought, had phenomenal summers. That's what's needed, and that's who it starts with.
We've got veterans that have been here, too. Kur (Teng) is finally off his injury, it's been about a month now that he's been full, full-go. He still might be the best shooter I have on this team; he can really shoot the ball. Jesse (McCullough), and Kaleb (Glenn), who's come off his knee injury. When you miss nine months, there is a recovery period of time, and usually it takes a little longer. I thought the summer was good for him, but I didn't think he made a lot of progress that I needed him to make, and then the end of the summer and the fall, he's taken a monstrous step.
We also have Jordan (Scott) and Cam (Ward), who have gotten a lot of experience. I think Jordan is one of two guys that might have had the best summer: gained some weight, confidence, strength—all the things he needed to do to make himself go from a good player to maybe a great player. Cam, on the other hand, is coming off a little bit of an ankle injury during part of the summer, but he too has improved: gained some weight, stronger, his free-throw shooting has improved, and those were big things for him.
So, everybody made some progress, but nobody more than maybe Jesse (McCulloch) and Jordan (Scott). The seniors are supposed to make progress, but for Jesse, he came on, and when everybody went home, he stayed here. You kind of get what you deserve in most things in life, and he's one that got what he deserved. So far, he's played very well. He's improved his athleticism, which needed some improvement, that's not his strength, but his strength is he can shoot the ball. He's been incredibly good, like Carson Cooper, in helping the young big guys get better; Jesse and Cam have done a great job of that.
The transition for our new group: Anton Bonke and Matthew Watkins. Anton is 7-foot-1.5, 7-foot-2, 270 pounds, and he's got some skills—he can shoot a three. He's got to continue to get quicker and his reaction time better, but when you're that big, we have to learn to play with him a little differently, too. He can run the court; I've been pleased with him.
Watkins is the kid we moved from manager to player, which isn't as crazy as it sounds. He's actually impressed us, and that's why we put him on the team. We do need a good scout team, and he'll get a lot of reps there.
Then come our freshmen: Julius Avent, Jasiah Jervis, Carlos Medlock Jr., and Ethan Taylor. Jasiah (Jervis) is probably the most advanced, with Carlos (Medlock Jr.) right behind him. Julius (Avent) is a guy like a lot of 6-foot-6, 6-foot-7 guys we've had: he can play a lot of positions, he can shoot a three, he's got strength, he's got a 72-inch wingspan, so he plays bigger than he actually is. His dad played at Seton Hall, so he's got the pedigree in the family and high basketball IQ. It just takes a little time right now to adjust his weight and quickness to what you've got to do at this level.
Ethan's (Taylor) been another surprise. He didn't play much last year as a senior in high school for whatever reasons. He's got size at 7-foot-1.5. He's got an incredible body and incredible hands. He can run like a deer. He's got some things where he's got the quickness of a Jaren Jackson for a big guy, with a 74-inch wingspan. As always with big guys, the motor has got to keep going. You've got to have a high motor to play at this level, and he is making serious progress in that area. Probably since he got here in June until now, he's made as much progress as anybody from where he started. Now, don't write that wrong like he's ready to be Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, but he's made great progress. I'm proud of all four freshmen, because they've adapted, yet they've got a long ways to go.
The season is a journey. We all know the Final Four is in Detroit, and I know I'll get questions on it. It has nothing to do with where we're at right now. I could be arrogant and say we're one of the teams; the problem is we're one of probably 15 or 20 teams. Nowadays, you guys don't know any better than I do with who's got who, because I live it, sleep it, and eat it, and I don't know what teams have who because of the incredible stupidity of our system. We still don't have everybody on teams; we're a month into school and guys don't know if they're eligible, or if this judge is going to make them eligible, or this governor is going to do this. Can you tell that I'm not real happy about that? If you don't, you're not reading between the lines.
What I need is less talk about the future and more talk about the production that we need on a daily basis to get better. One of the jobs is going to be putting the right people on the court at the right time. We do have depth; that's the strength of this year's team. Some people talk about: "Is it going to be hard getting everybody in?" Last year, one of the reasons we lost that last game is our guards ran out of gas because we had guys injured and missed the last quarter of the season; we were short two guards. Depth is important, but staying focused on the task at hand is going to be the big thing.
Our goal is the same as it always is: try to win the Big Ten and try to get to a Final Four. That's been the goal since the first one we went to. But it's really to get every player better every day.
Jeremy (Fears Jr.) and Coen (Carr) have both improved over the summer with their ball-handling. Coen Carr is much better taking the ball to the basket; Jeremy is a much better shooter; Coen is a better shooter. Coen has improved his ball skills and become a better passer. Both guys have been challenged to become better defenders: Jeremy was good, Coen was pretty good. Jeremy needs to be elite, and Coen needs to be great.
Kur (Teng) is healthy, and we're excited because he can really shoot the ball. Jesse (McCulloch), as I told you, might have had the best summer because he stayed here and worked the most.
The schedule is brutal. Toughest exhibition season we've ever had. We were going to play a Division II school, but the NCAA rules had them starting later than the rest of us, so we picked up a Division I team from Texas (Incarnate Ward) where we knew the staff. It gave us two weeks to work on what we thought was not good. The next two exhibitions will be a lot more difficult.
Then a crazy start to the season: Duke, Tennessee, Arkansas, Gonzaga—everybody knows those big games. But we have tough games against teams like Northern Iowa, Toledo, Oakland, Penn, Detroit Mercy. All those teams we're either in the tournament or one game from it. Start conference play with Minnesota and Maryland. In the Big Ten, two teams we play twice are ranked right now: Michigan and Nebraska. And Maryland—when I was at Big Ten Media Day, they got that big kid back who was at Minnesota, and they think they're taking the biggest jump in the league. Who's the scheduler? KP (Kevin Pauga) should be fired from Michigan State (Izzo said jokingly) Those are three very good teams you play twice.
Biggest worry: injuries, staying focused with high expectations, and what other teams have that I don't know about yet. Biggest excitement: I absolutely love the players I've got. The last three years, we've really tried in recruiting to vet what we have academically, socially, and athletically. All four freshmen are good students and can play. Our seniors, juniors, and sophomores, all but one is homegrown. That's important to me. I love the fact that they've all stuck together; nobody was thinking of leaving, maybe Jeremy (Fears Jr.) looking at the pro thing, but they want to be here.
We play anywhere from 9 to 12 teams ranked in the top 25 right now. Don't believe all the rankings, because people are guessing. We're doing a scouting report right now and one team had 11 new guys: film from Miami, Syracuse, wherever. It's more difficult. But for me, it's exciting that I've got a lot of guys back. I know what we have, and I like what we have.
Now the fun part: questions. And behave yourselves—we've got a class here of future journalists, so be nice.
On balancing player-led leadership with passionate coaching in the modern era…
In 2000, we didn't have these damn phones where you guys are spending 9 or 10 hours a day on, and so are players and everybody else. We're constantly talking to them about doing stuff where you're all engaged, not half-engaged and half somewhere else. We're trying to do more of that with ourselves and with them.
I love the fact that I've got two really good leaders. Jeremy (Fears Jr.) is a little more vocal, although Coen (Carr) has become more vocal. Jeremy has matured, like we all have to, and Coen has really bought into what he has to do. When those guys are doing that, the freshmen have no idea how lucky they are to have people leading them.
One of the things I miss about Coop (Carson Cooper) and Jaxon (Kohler) is they were so good for our young bigs. Jesse (McCulloch) has done the same, and Cam (Ward), but those guys hadn't been through as much success yet. They're taking care of themselves and trying to take care of the young guys. I hope our freshmen appreciate that, because that's going to be very important in their improvement.
On what he sees in practice that makes him believe this group can reach a National Championship…
I think you have good leaders, you have a good quarterback, and you have 10 or 11 players that could play at any certain time—so you have depth. You have guys that have been through the wars. You've got guys that did what is un-American to do anymore: failed. Lost the last game.
It's good to fail if you learn from it and it drives you. I've got driven guys who want to be great. When you fall down, you either stay down or you jump up. I've seen this team gather themselves and realize we had a chance the last two years, and what did we do not to finish it? Was it injuries? Could be. Was it poor coaching? Always can be. Was it guys didn't make free throws or get a big rebound? Every single inch matters.
If we have an injury, heaven forbid, we're going to be able to survive it because of our depth and versatility. We can play really small or really big. Looking at the schedule, there are teams that are really big like Duke, and teams that are a lot smaller.
On Jeremy Fears Jr. handling National Player of the Year and All-American expectations…
We keep a balance: you guys build him up, and I tear him down. It's a good balance. When you get to that status, a lot more people are building you up, so I've got to stay healthy and motivated myself to counter that.
All kidding aside, they're only high expectations if you don't have high expectations for yourself. There are things he wants to accomplish. He has shown me very little entitlement, that's my new four-letter word that I hate. He's a better athlete than he was: better shape, a little less weight, shooting is better. If he's getting fat and sassy, I'm going to take the first shot at him, and then the teams we play will take the second shot, because we won't be successful if that happens.
It's not one of my worries, to be honest with you. It's not Jeremy. It's the younger guys who haven't been through the wars, who suddenly hear they're on a top-10 team and haven't done anything yet. How those guys handle it worries me more than Jeremy.
On accountability and keeping high rankings in perspective…
Accountability is my other keyword. We have accountability, and sometimes it wears its ugly head. I apologize for none of it. Sometimes teams are more immature than others, but when I've had guys be immature over the years, there have been a lot worse things that happened than what's happened the last couple years.
I keep it in perspective. I can remember once or twice when we were ranked high and didn't do a very good job, but I remember others—like Denzel (Valentine)'s senior year or Jaren (Jackson Jr.)'s year—where the other team just played better than us that night. Denzel's year in 2016: we were one of the best shooting teams in the country, top-two defensively, and Middle Tennessee shoots 56% against us and 52% from three. That happens in sports. As long as it happens because the other team was better on that given night, I can live with it. If it happens because we didn't prepare, then I'm disappointed.
On Jeremy Fears Jr.'s emotional growth and taking the next step as a leader…
The hardest thing for Jeremy—and I've been through it with guys like Mateen (Cleaves) and Draymond (Green), guys who are aggressively emotional at an elite level—is learning you can't let your emotions get the best of your game. He's going to get provoked; when you're a star player with high expectations, that's just the way it is.
I think he's more at peace with himself. The injury took a year and a half, and halfway through last year he really started making progress. He is so much a better athlete today than he was last year: quickness, jumping ability, dunking over people now.
If there's something he's got to overcome: how do you handle failure? When things go wrong, he gets upset. Can he handle other guys not playing well? Can he be the truest of all leaders, which means you don't just lead by example and take care of yourself, you take care of everybody on the team? That's hard to do. Only a couple here in the history of this place have done it at an elite level. He has that opportunity, and that's what I'm pushing him to do.
On Kaleb Glenn's role, positional versatility, and sitting in the football student section…
Kaleb had a serious injury, but the complications were none—just the time off, the new system, and getting up to speed. He can really shoot it; he's got size and strength. He's not as big as Coen (Carr), because Coen is 235 now and Kaleb's around 218, but he shoots it really well. He can play the three and the four. He's one of the guys we'll use when going big or small; if there are mismatches, we can pick-and-pop him. He's a very good rebounder for his size, too. How much he plays will depend on other guys, but he's going to get his chance.
As for the student section: Coach Fitz (Pat Fitzgerald) was in the Izzone a couple years ago, and he kind of liked it. Students are so important to the success of a program. It started my first year when there were 4,000 Indiana sweaters here for my first Big Ten game, and Mark Hollis and I said we were changing the student section. Before that game started in the hallway downstairs, I went off on him. It wasn't his fault, but I was frustrated, so we did change some things, and that's what made this place become one of the hardest places to play, why we had a 53-game home winning streak. Students are valuable. They're important. Fans are important.
So, what comes first, the chicken or the egg? People say, "If you win, we'll be there." Well, I didn't win early, and they were there and helped me win. I see it over at hockey now—Adam (Nightingale) has done an incredible job. I was here when you couldn't even get standing room only tickets at a hockey game. Him and I talked about that. Our women's basketball needs that, too. That's why I go spend time with them at the campout and in the student section, I'll do whatever I can do. But I want some help, because I know I'm not good enough by myself, and my team's not good enough by themselves. Home-court advantage is a 10-point swing. It's not the baskets or the hotel beds, their the same size; it's the people. The people are very important. I think it's my obligation that you can have fun, besides being on your phone for nine hours a day. Do I want that? Sure. Is it fair? I don't know, it depends on what you want. Do you want to be your age someday and go brag at the water cooler or the coffee machine? Do you enjoy memory making moments?
I mean, I've had two moments with those students that, to me, if I die or leave tomorrow, I'll take with me. The campout was record setting this year; it was so unbelievable that I thought it was unbelievable. It means that I don't just ask the students to do something without giving something in return. Hopefully what I give in return is myself, if I can. It's the memory making experiences, if I can. If your team is good, they're going to have a better experience leaving college, because a lot of people look at sports as something that they brag about when they leave.
I think we have maybe the best setup we've had in a long time from top to bottom. Big believer that when the head dies, the body follows. We've had a lot of turnovers in a lot of key positions. I think we now have some stability, and you can say, "well, it's only been for six months". I think Adam (Nightingale) is really stable there. Our women's coach (Robyn Fralick) is now getting into the pipe part where her stability is going to be there. You look at our soccer programs, and those coaches, and the job they've done. It's been incredible. You look at our volleyball program, that's even double incredible. She is a perfect example of someone who went here and has a passion for this place and has just done an amazing job. And, of course, hockey; you can't beat what Adam (Nightingale)'s done.
I'm a big proponent of football and a big proponent of Fitz (Pat Fitzgerald). I just think there's a lot of good coaches in the country at a lot of places. I can tell you a couple of jobs, I won't tell you which ones, but a couple of jobs that I turned down, that I didn't think I would be a good fit there. I think sometimes you hire people that may end up not being good fit. He's a fit here, and I mean that. I've agonized through some of his losses with him. Totally thing we're headed in the right direction, and that's why I went into the student section: I wanted to share with those that we're there, bring some people with you. If we can get this going and if we can help him – we lost by one – if the place was packed, I think we win that game. But I really believe that fans make a difference.
I want to sit there this week, or middle of November. I'm all game, man, as long as we're all in this together, and that's kind of what I look for here. Been so fortunate in basketball; when we had the exhibition game, and they let all the Izzone in, different type of setting, and it was packed. For me, that was as exciting as the game. So yeah, I might go into the student section again and bring my team with me. I'm going to do anything I can do for our football team, but believe it or not, for our students. The student's have to help us create a great winning atmosphere.
On whether he considered taking his shirt off in the student section…
I thought about it, and then a guy put up a "Visual Pollution" sign, so I said I am not doing that.
On increased confidence at the shooting guard spot with Kur Teng, Jordan Scott, and Jasiah Jervis…
It excites me because all those guys are going to help us. It helps Jeremy (Fears Jr.) offensively because he's going to have more guys to pass to who can make shots, and people won't be able to sag off on him. Jasiah is a hell of a shooter, Kur is a hell of a shooter, Jordan is a very good shooter.
It helps defensively, too. We had to play Jeremy 35 or 36 minutes a game the second half of last year when we had injuries. It's hard to push the ball and defend the ball at that pace. Now we'll be able to play faster and put more pressure on defensively. We lacked three-point shooting last year, I don't think that'll be a problem this year.
On Coen Carr playing with more bully-ball aggression around the rim…
Good question. I want to see a lot more of Coen bullying his way in, athletically getting there, and putting it on the floor. We all get concerned about his shooting, but NBA scouts come in here and look at guys like the Thompson twins in Detroit and Houston—nobody talks about their shooting because they do so many other things to help a team win.
What I'd like Coen to do even more of is offensive rebounding. At 6-foot-6.5 with his wingspan and jumping ability, there's no reason he can't be like Morris Peterson or Jason Richardson—wing offensive rebounding machines. Shoot a little better from the line, get fouled more by taking it to the hole, and crash the offensive glass.
And the final challenge: he's got to be our defensive stopper. Jeremy's good on the ball, but we've got to be able to put Coen on the opponent's leading scorer and say, "Shut him down." If we could do it with Morris Peterson back in the day, no insult to Morris—he went a couple of years struggling to guard somebody, — so Coen's developed, but I think he's got to take that last major step.
On what he learned from early-career failures and how he handles losing today…
Listen, nobody wants to fail. But I think of the best coaches I know: Mike Krzyzewski, Dean Smith—Jim Delany used to tell me they almost hung him in effigy outside his house. Nick Saban, look at how he started out. Myself.
Nowadays, everybody wants success tomorrow. There's a process. If you don't go through the problems, how are you going to help a player when they struggle? Failure is good—just not a lot of it. Failure should motivate you.
I don't think I handled losing very well early, and I don't handle losing very well now. I've matured just a little bit to understand that once in a while, the other team just plays better than you. If you never tried, you probably never failed. There's only one team left standing at the end of the year, so a lot of people fail.
On roster continuity and culture versus rebuilding entirely through the transfer portal…
There are two ways to skin a cat. The team that won it last year had four or five guys off the bench that could have started elsewhere. But sometimes rebuilding entirely through the portal doesn't work, or it costs an enormous amount of money. We played teams last year that spent more money than anybody in our league, and it didn't work out at all.
Look at baseball: payrolls ranked 2nd, 19th, 28th, and 29th are playing for the pennant, and number 29 (Milwaukee Brewers) are beating the big payrolls (Los Angeles Dodgers). Money doesn't guarantee you win games.
I'm more worried about the program than just the single-year team. That has nothing to do with Michigan; I've said the same thing for four or five years. There are no media, no students at this university, and no fans of the 660,000 living alums that wants to win more than I do, zero people. But I'm doing what I think keeps the camaraderie and culture we built here. Part of culture is being fair to the kid you recruited. Some teams are going to add portal guys right now and replace a kid who worked all summer and get applauded for it. If it was your kid, you wouldn't be applauding. Being fair to the student-athlete is important to me, and that's the way it's going to be. If it costs me some recruits one way, that's great, if it helps me get a few recruits another way, that's great, but that's the way it's going to be.
On having his deepest roster in years and the competitive nature of practice…
It is one of my deeper teams. Sometimes you have teams with one or two superstars—top-five draft picks—that make up for things. Here, there's not a lot of separation between our guys, so it's not the ones going against the twos in practice; it's 1A going against 1B.
That makes practices ugly in a good way, because guys are battling. It's a very talented team, not an elite team, but a very talented team with a good combination of experience and youth. The experience brings wisdom, and the youth brings enthusiasm. The challenge with modern youth is communication: they don't talk enough, so we're pushing our freshmen to talk more on defense.
On former student manager Matthew Watkins earning a roster spot…
Incredible work ethic, number one. He was in this building morning, noon, and night: doing his work, doing video work, and then you look down and he's in the gym shooting. He wanted to be a player earlier, and my assistants really harped on the fact that we needed somebody like him.
He's got size, he's very smart, picks up things well, and he's got skills: he can shoot it, handle it, and guard. He'll get tested now running the scout team against UConn, and see what he's got to do, and see if he can do it.
On potential on-court rule changes like moving to quarters or utilizing technology…
I would be a fan of quarters. Maybe get an extra timeout to break a clipboard or something.
And replay: if we have replay, let's have it for everything that matters, not just things that don't matter. An offside call on an onside kick—to me, that matters; that's easy. But I don't like challenges that lengthen the game. And watching baseball with the plate challenges: robotic officials would be my final wish. If we could get robotic officials, I'd be really happy.
On the impact of sports psychologist Dr. Lionel "Lonnie" Rosen…
Dr. Rosen has been here since Nick Saban was here. He helps more players than anything, especially through tough times like when Cassius Winston's brother passed away. He is very unique and very good. He doesn't have to say a lot to get a lot done.
He is a treasure here who doesn't get enough credit nationwide. Special, special human being. If you're worried about me retiring, Lonnie is 109, so I think I'm just going to grow a beard like him and let my hair go, because nobody questions him. He should be cherished here because he is an incredible guy that helps a lot of players and coaches here.
On memories of facing Jim Calhoun's UConn team in 2000 with Muhammad Ali in the locker room…
UConn playing here in 2000 was one of my favorite memories. Calhoun was crazy, and we beat them, but my favorite memory was Muhammad Ali coming to the game. He brought his wife, kids, and friends—they had 10 tickets.
Can you imagine: we're top-five, they're top-10, big CBS game. Mateen Cleaves is sitting in the locker room, and I didn't tell him Muhammad was coming. I walked into that locker room with Muhammad Ali, and I had to tie Mateen down to the locker, it was unbelievable. The problem is everything's the same—same arena, we're both going to be ranked high, Danny (Hurley)'s a good coach, national champion, but Muhammad's not here to give that pregame speech he gave then. It was spectacular and short, and about having the heart of a lion I had to and being a champion. We were ahead 51-17 at halftime. We've had a good relationship, we've played in Final Four's, Danny Hurley is a good friend of mine, an intense coach. We have two programs playing for a lot, and that's to get better and better and better, and see where it takes us. So, I'm looking forward to it, but I miss Muhammad Ali for a lot of things. I got a chance to go down to his house in Berrien Springs, and a lot of memories, but the best one was his speech, and what he said to the players. I've never had a team do that against any team, much less a top 10 team, so I give him credit for that, not me.
On Jordan Scott's development and expanding offensive responsibilities…
He was the surprise last year. We did not think he would come in and play a lot or start, but he just earned his way. He plays as hard, as consistent, and as efficient as any player I've had in a long, long time. Very few mistakes. Ask him to guard somebody, cut out, or rebound, and he does it.
With CJ (Carlos Medlock Jr.) out for a couple days with a minor ding, Jordan handled the ball and initiated offense in practice. He can play three positions, has great size, and is smart on the court and in the classroom, and he's becoming a very good player.
On connecting with Michigan State fans and supporting students through adversity…
It's better than winning. Sooner or later, that's what you get remembered for: how you inspire people, whether it's your players, the student section, or donor/alumni. That's why I'm here. Some people go dipping around for different jobs, but I want to be part of the fabric of this place. If a video, phone call, or visit helped someone through a hard time, that's a privilege.
On what will separate the top teams in the Big Ten this season…
The same old, same old: defending, rebounding, and taking care of the ball. People call me old-school, but that hasn't changed in 100 years. If there's an area that I think I've failed us here, I don't think I've done a good enough job with the turnovers. If we can get our turnovers down from 13 or 14 to eight or nine, we'll be a much better team. When teams start getting accolades, the first thing that usually goes is defense and rebounding because guys want pretty-boy things instead of grinding things. So that's what I'm going to be looking at; do we keep our mentality? Do we keep what helps everybody win in every sport? And that's what I'm looking forward to.
On Jesse McCullough playing minutes at the five…
He'll play both the four and the five. Tall doesn't automatically mean great—tall just gives you a chance to be greater than the guy that's shorter. Jesse's got the mentality and skill set. He's not the most athletic guy, so depending on matchups, playing him at the five gives us great spacing and shooting while keeping him in good defensive positions.
Closing Statement…
Thanks for the great showing. Keep things in perspective: 5,498 kids at the Campout asked me if we're getting to Detroit for the Final Four. We've got to worry about today, worry about UConn, and get better every day. We've been No.1 in the country one year and barely made the tournament. We've been a seven seed and made the final four. We were a two seed and played against a seven or eight seed UConn in New York, and they beat us.
So, I've done it both ways; what this year is about is getting better, and I know that's coach talk, but it's so true. You've got to get better everyday. And then experiencing everything in the tournament, I think plays to your side of things.
It's going to be interesting to see who stays hungry, who avoids entitlement, and who gets spoiled, and who keeps the grind. If we do that, we have a food chance to be a very successful team, and that's what I'm looking forward to. And for all of you: this football program is going somewhere in the near future. Hang with them like I'm going to, believe in them, believe in Pat Fitzgerald, and that's what's important.
Thank you.
It's a bigger crowd, you must think I'm resigning, huh? Wow.
Well, believe it or not, it's good to see you all again. It's been a long summer, pretty good summer, and an exciting year, I hope. Can't believe it's already opening up, but I am excited to be back for the new season, get it underway. Between the summer and the start of practice, we've been through a lot together. We've had some injuries this summer—some small injuries, thank God nothing real big.
My biggest concern right now is not who we are, even though that's a big concern, but who the other teams are. I think that's been the hardest thing: trying to figure out where you are compared to who you've got to play. That's always important as far as expectations getting too out of control—which they will get out of control, because we have one of the teams that's a good team, and we all know the Final Four is in Detroit. And yet that has nothing to do with anything in the big picture when you haven't played an exhibition game yet.
We've already played one exhibition game, and we were okay. I thought our young guys really looked young the first time we put them in. Subbing by hockey lines is sometimes what I do, especially in the first exhibition game. It's not necessarily great for anybody, meaning our players—other than to get the definite opportunity to play. It's not great, though, having a bunch of freshmen in there without some juniors and seniors to show them the way. So, we'll probably mix and match a little bit more in the game coming up.
The game coming up is UConn, who was in everybody's top five or ten. Like last year, it'll be a good test for us. The problem now when you're playing these big exhibition games is you have to figure out what exhibition games are really for: to see what you have, to see how your team improved, to see what guys fit with what guys, to mix up the lineups, see who's improved, and get an idea.
The great thing for me is getting an idea against a team and a coach that I know pretty well. I know Danny (Hurley) real well. We're both looking for the same thing: to see where our team's at. After last year—he didn't say it right after the game, but to show you how crazy it is: we didn't play very well out there last year, and he called me a couple weeks later after we had beaten Arkansas or somebody really good, and said, "God, I was worried for you, because I thought your team was awful." Only Danny (Hurley) could be honest like that. I would have said the same thing to him. I said, "We were awful, but you had something to do with it. But I knew we were better than what we played." That's part of the preseason: you've got to make sure you keep it all in perspective.
We have Connecticut, and then we go on the road to Marquette. Hoping Fred Heumann would travel with us so he could see the Brewers play, that's about the only reason we're playing that game (Izzo jokingly said). But we are playing Marquette over there on that Sunday afternoon. Shaka Smart is on some committees with me; I really respect what Shaka's done there, and I think it'll be a different test, but a good test for us before we start moving on.
As far as our team is concerned, I like the group. Especially like the experience we have. For the most part, it's a group that has been together for two and three years, led by Jeremy (Fears Jr.) and Coen (Carr). No question—both of them, I thought, had phenomenal summers. That's what's needed, and that's who it starts with.
We've got veterans that have been here, too. Kur (Teng) is finally off his injury, it's been about a month now that he's been full, full-go. He still might be the best shooter I have on this team; he can really shoot the ball. Jesse (McCullough), and Kaleb (Glenn), who's come off his knee injury. When you miss nine months, there is a recovery period of time, and usually it takes a little longer. I thought the summer was good for him, but I didn't think he made a lot of progress that I needed him to make, and then the end of the summer and the fall, he's taken a monstrous step.
We also have Jordan (Scott) and Cam (Ward), who have gotten a lot of experience. I think Jordan is one of two guys that might have had the best summer: gained some weight, confidence, strength—all the things he needed to do to make himself go from a good player to maybe a great player. Cam, on the other hand, is coming off a little bit of an ankle injury during part of the summer, but he too has improved: gained some weight, stronger, his free-throw shooting has improved, and those were big things for him.
So, everybody made some progress, but nobody more than maybe Jesse (McCulloch) and Jordan (Scott). The seniors are supposed to make progress, but for Jesse, he came on, and when everybody went home, he stayed here. You kind of get what you deserve in most things in life, and he's one that got what he deserved. So far, he's played very well. He's improved his athleticism, which needed some improvement, that's not his strength, but his strength is he can shoot the ball. He's been incredibly good, like Carson Cooper, in helping the young big guys get better; Jesse and Cam have done a great job of that.
The transition for our new group: Anton Bonke and Matthew Watkins. Anton is 7-foot-1.5, 7-foot-2, 270 pounds, and he's got some skills—he can shoot a three. He's got to continue to get quicker and his reaction time better, but when you're that big, we have to learn to play with him a little differently, too. He can run the court; I've been pleased with him.
Watkins is the kid we moved from manager to player, which isn't as crazy as it sounds. He's actually impressed us, and that's why we put him on the team. We do need a good scout team, and he'll get a lot of reps there.
Then come our freshmen: Julius Avent, Jasiah Jervis, Carlos Medlock Jr., and Ethan Taylor. Jasiah (Jervis) is probably the most advanced, with Carlos (Medlock Jr.) right behind him. Julius (Avent) is a guy like a lot of 6-foot-6, 6-foot-7 guys we've had: he can play a lot of positions, he can shoot a three, he's got strength, he's got a 72-inch wingspan, so he plays bigger than he actually is. His dad played at Seton Hall, so he's got the pedigree in the family and high basketball IQ. It just takes a little time right now to adjust his weight and quickness to what you've got to do at this level.
Ethan's (Taylor) been another surprise. He didn't play much last year as a senior in high school for whatever reasons. He's got size at 7-foot-1.5. He's got an incredible body and incredible hands. He can run like a deer. He's got some things where he's got the quickness of a Jaren Jackson for a big guy, with a 74-inch wingspan. As always with big guys, the motor has got to keep going. You've got to have a high motor to play at this level, and he is making serious progress in that area. Probably since he got here in June until now, he's made as much progress as anybody from where he started. Now, don't write that wrong like he's ready to be Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, but he's made great progress. I'm proud of all four freshmen, because they've adapted, yet they've got a long ways to go.
The season is a journey. We all know the Final Four is in Detroit, and I know I'll get questions on it. It has nothing to do with where we're at right now. I could be arrogant and say we're one of the teams; the problem is we're one of probably 15 or 20 teams. Nowadays, you guys don't know any better than I do with who's got who, because I live it, sleep it, and eat it, and I don't know what teams have who because of the incredible stupidity of our system. We still don't have everybody on teams; we're a month into school and guys don't know if they're eligible, or if this judge is going to make them eligible, or this governor is going to do this. Can you tell that I'm not real happy about that? If you don't, you're not reading between the lines.
What I need is less talk about the future and more talk about the production that we need on a daily basis to get better. One of the jobs is going to be putting the right people on the court at the right time. We do have depth; that's the strength of this year's team. Some people talk about: "Is it going to be hard getting everybody in?" Last year, one of the reasons we lost that last game is our guards ran out of gas because we had guys injured and missed the last quarter of the season; we were short two guards. Depth is important, but staying focused on the task at hand is going to be the big thing.
Our goal is the same as it always is: try to win the Big Ten and try to get to a Final Four. That's been the goal since the first one we went to. But it's really to get every player better every day.
Jeremy (Fears Jr.) and Coen (Carr) have both improved over the summer with their ball-handling. Coen Carr is much better taking the ball to the basket; Jeremy is a much better shooter; Coen is a better shooter. Coen has improved his ball skills and become a better passer. Both guys have been challenged to become better defenders: Jeremy was good, Coen was pretty good. Jeremy needs to be elite, and Coen needs to be great.
Kur (Teng) is healthy, and we're excited because he can really shoot the ball. Jesse (McCulloch), as I told you, might have had the best summer because he stayed here and worked the most.
The schedule is brutal. Toughest exhibition season we've ever had. We were going to play a Division II school, but the NCAA rules had them starting later than the rest of us, so we picked up a Division I team from Texas (Incarnate Ward) where we knew the staff. It gave us two weeks to work on what we thought was not good. The next two exhibitions will be a lot more difficult.
Then a crazy start to the season: Duke, Tennessee, Arkansas, Gonzaga—everybody knows those big games. But we have tough games against teams like Northern Iowa, Toledo, Oakland, Penn, Detroit Mercy. All those teams we're either in the tournament or one game from it. Start conference play with Minnesota and Maryland. In the Big Ten, two teams we play twice are ranked right now: Michigan and Nebraska. And Maryland—when I was at Big Ten Media Day, they got that big kid back who was at Minnesota, and they think they're taking the biggest jump in the league. Who's the scheduler? KP (Kevin Pauga) should be fired from Michigan State (Izzo said jokingly) Those are three very good teams you play twice.
Biggest worry: injuries, staying focused with high expectations, and what other teams have that I don't know about yet. Biggest excitement: I absolutely love the players I've got. The last three years, we've really tried in recruiting to vet what we have academically, socially, and athletically. All four freshmen are good students and can play. Our seniors, juniors, and sophomores, all but one is homegrown. That's important to me. I love the fact that they've all stuck together; nobody was thinking of leaving, maybe Jeremy (Fears Jr.) looking at the pro thing, but they want to be here.
We play anywhere from 9 to 12 teams ranked in the top 25 right now. Don't believe all the rankings, because people are guessing. We're doing a scouting report right now and one team had 11 new guys: film from Miami, Syracuse, wherever. It's more difficult. But for me, it's exciting that I've got a lot of guys back. I know what we have, and I like what we have.
Now the fun part: questions. And behave yourselves—we've got a class here of future journalists, so be nice.
On balancing player-led leadership with passionate coaching in the modern era…
In 2000, we didn't have these damn phones where you guys are spending 9 or 10 hours a day on, and so are players and everybody else. We're constantly talking to them about doing stuff where you're all engaged, not half-engaged and half somewhere else. We're trying to do more of that with ourselves and with them.
I love the fact that I've got two really good leaders. Jeremy (Fears Jr.) is a little more vocal, although Coen (Carr) has become more vocal. Jeremy has matured, like we all have to, and Coen has really bought into what he has to do. When those guys are doing that, the freshmen have no idea how lucky they are to have people leading them.
One of the things I miss about Coop (Carson Cooper) and Jaxon (Kohler) is they were so good for our young bigs. Jesse (McCulloch) has done the same, and Cam (Ward), but those guys hadn't been through as much success yet. They're taking care of themselves and trying to take care of the young guys. I hope our freshmen appreciate that, because that's going to be very important in their improvement.
On what he sees in practice that makes him believe this group can reach a National Championship…
I think you have good leaders, you have a good quarterback, and you have 10 or 11 players that could play at any certain time—so you have depth. You have guys that have been through the wars. You've got guys that did what is un-American to do anymore: failed. Lost the last game.
It's good to fail if you learn from it and it drives you. I've got driven guys who want to be great. When you fall down, you either stay down or you jump up. I've seen this team gather themselves and realize we had a chance the last two years, and what did we do not to finish it? Was it injuries? Could be. Was it poor coaching? Always can be. Was it guys didn't make free throws or get a big rebound? Every single inch matters.
If we have an injury, heaven forbid, we're going to be able to survive it because of our depth and versatility. We can play really small or really big. Looking at the schedule, there are teams that are really big like Duke, and teams that are a lot smaller.
On Jeremy Fears Jr. handling National Player of the Year and All-American expectations…
We keep a balance: you guys build him up, and I tear him down. It's a good balance. When you get to that status, a lot more people are building you up, so I've got to stay healthy and motivated myself to counter that.
All kidding aside, they're only high expectations if you don't have high expectations for yourself. There are things he wants to accomplish. He has shown me very little entitlement, that's my new four-letter word that I hate. He's a better athlete than he was: better shape, a little less weight, shooting is better. If he's getting fat and sassy, I'm going to take the first shot at him, and then the teams we play will take the second shot, because we won't be successful if that happens.
It's not one of my worries, to be honest with you. It's not Jeremy. It's the younger guys who haven't been through the wars, who suddenly hear they're on a top-10 team and haven't done anything yet. How those guys handle it worries me more than Jeremy.
On accountability and keeping high rankings in perspective…
Accountability is my other keyword. We have accountability, and sometimes it wears its ugly head. I apologize for none of it. Sometimes teams are more immature than others, but when I've had guys be immature over the years, there have been a lot worse things that happened than what's happened the last couple years.
I keep it in perspective. I can remember once or twice when we were ranked high and didn't do a very good job, but I remember others—like Denzel (Valentine)'s senior year or Jaren (Jackson Jr.)'s year—where the other team just played better than us that night. Denzel's year in 2016: we were one of the best shooting teams in the country, top-two defensively, and Middle Tennessee shoots 56% against us and 52% from three. That happens in sports. As long as it happens because the other team was better on that given night, I can live with it. If it happens because we didn't prepare, then I'm disappointed.
On Jeremy Fears Jr.'s emotional growth and taking the next step as a leader…
The hardest thing for Jeremy—and I've been through it with guys like Mateen (Cleaves) and Draymond (Green), guys who are aggressively emotional at an elite level—is learning you can't let your emotions get the best of your game. He's going to get provoked; when you're a star player with high expectations, that's just the way it is.
I think he's more at peace with himself. The injury took a year and a half, and halfway through last year he really started making progress. He is so much a better athlete today than he was last year: quickness, jumping ability, dunking over people now.
If there's something he's got to overcome: how do you handle failure? When things go wrong, he gets upset. Can he handle other guys not playing well? Can he be the truest of all leaders, which means you don't just lead by example and take care of yourself, you take care of everybody on the team? That's hard to do. Only a couple here in the history of this place have done it at an elite level. He has that opportunity, and that's what I'm pushing him to do.
On Kaleb Glenn's role, positional versatility, and sitting in the football student section…
Kaleb had a serious injury, but the complications were none—just the time off, the new system, and getting up to speed. He can really shoot it; he's got size and strength. He's not as big as Coen (Carr), because Coen is 235 now and Kaleb's around 218, but he shoots it really well. He can play the three and the four. He's one of the guys we'll use when going big or small; if there are mismatches, we can pick-and-pop him. He's a very good rebounder for his size, too. How much he plays will depend on other guys, but he's going to get his chance.
As for the student section: Coach Fitz (Pat Fitzgerald) was in the Izzone a couple years ago, and he kind of liked it. Students are so important to the success of a program. It started my first year when there were 4,000 Indiana sweaters here for my first Big Ten game, and Mark Hollis and I said we were changing the student section. Before that game started in the hallway downstairs, I went off on him. It wasn't his fault, but I was frustrated, so we did change some things, and that's what made this place become one of the hardest places to play, why we had a 53-game home winning streak. Students are valuable. They're important. Fans are important.
So, what comes first, the chicken or the egg? People say, "If you win, we'll be there." Well, I didn't win early, and they were there and helped me win. I see it over at hockey now—Adam (Nightingale) has done an incredible job. I was here when you couldn't even get standing room only tickets at a hockey game. Him and I talked about that. Our women's basketball needs that, too. That's why I go spend time with them at the campout and in the student section, I'll do whatever I can do. But I want some help, because I know I'm not good enough by myself, and my team's not good enough by themselves. Home-court advantage is a 10-point swing. It's not the baskets or the hotel beds, their the same size; it's the people. The people are very important. I think it's my obligation that you can have fun, besides being on your phone for nine hours a day. Do I want that? Sure. Is it fair? I don't know, it depends on what you want. Do you want to be your age someday and go brag at the water cooler or the coffee machine? Do you enjoy memory making moments?
I mean, I've had two moments with those students that, to me, if I die or leave tomorrow, I'll take with me. The campout was record setting this year; it was so unbelievable that I thought it was unbelievable. It means that I don't just ask the students to do something without giving something in return. Hopefully what I give in return is myself, if I can. It's the memory making experiences, if I can. If your team is good, they're going to have a better experience leaving college, because a lot of people look at sports as something that they brag about when they leave.
I think we have maybe the best setup we've had in a long time from top to bottom. Big believer that when the head dies, the body follows. We've had a lot of turnovers in a lot of key positions. I think we now have some stability, and you can say, "well, it's only been for six months". I think Adam (Nightingale) is really stable there. Our women's coach (Robyn Fralick) is now getting into the pipe part where her stability is going to be there. You look at our soccer programs, and those coaches, and the job they've done. It's been incredible. You look at our volleyball program, that's even double incredible. She is a perfect example of someone who went here and has a passion for this place and has just done an amazing job. And, of course, hockey; you can't beat what Adam (Nightingale)'s done.
I'm a big proponent of football and a big proponent of Fitz (Pat Fitzgerald). I just think there's a lot of good coaches in the country at a lot of places. I can tell you a couple of jobs, I won't tell you which ones, but a couple of jobs that I turned down, that I didn't think I would be a good fit there. I think sometimes you hire people that may end up not being good fit. He's a fit here, and I mean that. I've agonized through some of his losses with him. Totally thing we're headed in the right direction, and that's why I went into the student section: I wanted to share with those that we're there, bring some people with you. If we can get this going and if we can help him – we lost by one – if the place was packed, I think we win that game. But I really believe that fans make a difference.
I want to sit there this week, or middle of November. I'm all game, man, as long as we're all in this together, and that's kind of what I look for here. Been so fortunate in basketball; when we had the exhibition game, and they let all the Izzone in, different type of setting, and it was packed. For me, that was as exciting as the game. So yeah, I might go into the student section again and bring my team with me. I'm going to do anything I can do for our football team, but believe it or not, for our students. The student's have to help us create a great winning atmosphere.
On whether he considered taking his shirt off in the student section…
I thought about it, and then a guy put up a "Visual Pollution" sign, so I said I am not doing that.
On increased confidence at the shooting guard spot with Kur Teng, Jordan Scott, and Jasiah Jervis…
It excites me because all those guys are going to help us. It helps Jeremy (Fears Jr.) offensively because he's going to have more guys to pass to who can make shots, and people won't be able to sag off on him. Jasiah is a hell of a shooter, Kur is a hell of a shooter, Jordan is a very good shooter.
It helps defensively, too. We had to play Jeremy 35 or 36 minutes a game the second half of last year when we had injuries. It's hard to push the ball and defend the ball at that pace. Now we'll be able to play faster and put more pressure on defensively. We lacked three-point shooting last year, I don't think that'll be a problem this year.
On Coen Carr playing with more bully-ball aggression around the rim…
Good question. I want to see a lot more of Coen bullying his way in, athletically getting there, and putting it on the floor. We all get concerned about his shooting, but NBA scouts come in here and look at guys like the Thompson twins in Detroit and Houston—nobody talks about their shooting because they do so many other things to help a team win.
What I'd like Coen to do even more of is offensive rebounding. At 6-foot-6.5 with his wingspan and jumping ability, there's no reason he can't be like Morris Peterson or Jason Richardson—wing offensive rebounding machines. Shoot a little better from the line, get fouled more by taking it to the hole, and crash the offensive glass.
And the final challenge: he's got to be our defensive stopper. Jeremy's good on the ball, but we've got to be able to put Coen on the opponent's leading scorer and say, "Shut him down." If we could do it with Morris Peterson back in the day, no insult to Morris—he went a couple of years struggling to guard somebody, — so Coen's developed, but I think he's got to take that last major step.
On what he learned from early-career failures and how he handles losing today…
Listen, nobody wants to fail. But I think of the best coaches I know: Mike Krzyzewski, Dean Smith—Jim Delany used to tell me they almost hung him in effigy outside his house. Nick Saban, look at how he started out. Myself.
Nowadays, everybody wants success tomorrow. There's a process. If you don't go through the problems, how are you going to help a player when they struggle? Failure is good—just not a lot of it. Failure should motivate you.
I don't think I handled losing very well early, and I don't handle losing very well now. I've matured just a little bit to understand that once in a while, the other team just plays better than you. If you never tried, you probably never failed. There's only one team left standing at the end of the year, so a lot of people fail.
On roster continuity and culture versus rebuilding entirely through the transfer portal…
There are two ways to skin a cat. The team that won it last year had four or five guys off the bench that could have started elsewhere. But sometimes rebuilding entirely through the portal doesn't work, or it costs an enormous amount of money. We played teams last year that spent more money than anybody in our league, and it didn't work out at all.
Look at baseball: payrolls ranked 2nd, 19th, 28th, and 29th are playing for the pennant, and number 29 (Milwaukee Brewers) are beating the big payrolls (Los Angeles Dodgers). Money doesn't guarantee you win games.
I'm more worried about the program than just the single-year team. That has nothing to do with Michigan; I've said the same thing for four or five years. There are no media, no students at this university, and no fans of the 660,000 living alums that wants to win more than I do, zero people. But I'm doing what I think keeps the camaraderie and culture we built here. Part of culture is being fair to the kid you recruited. Some teams are going to add portal guys right now and replace a kid who worked all summer and get applauded for it. If it was your kid, you wouldn't be applauding. Being fair to the student-athlete is important to me, and that's the way it's going to be. If it costs me some recruits one way, that's great, if it helps me get a few recruits another way, that's great, but that's the way it's going to be.
On having his deepest roster in years and the competitive nature of practice…
It is one of my deeper teams. Sometimes you have teams with one or two superstars—top-five draft picks—that make up for things. Here, there's not a lot of separation between our guys, so it's not the ones going against the twos in practice; it's 1A going against 1B.
That makes practices ugly in a good way, because guys are battling. It's a very talented team, not an elite team, but a very talented team with a good combination of experience and youth. The experience brings wisdom, and the youth brings enthusiasm. The challenge with modern youth is communication: they don't talk enough, so we're pushing our freshmen to talk more on defense.
On former student manager Matthew Watkins earning a roster spot…
Incredible work ethic, number one. He was in this building morning, noon, and night: doing his work, doing video work, and then you look down and he's in the gym shooting. He wanted to be a player earlier, and my assistants really harped on the fact that we needed somebody like him.
He's got size, he's very smart, picks up things well, and he's got skills: he can shoot it, handle it, and guard. He'll get tested now running the scout team against UConn, and see what he's got to do, and see if he can do it.
On potential on-court rule changes like moving to quarters or utilizing technology…
I would be a fan of quarters. Maybe get an extra timeout to break a clipboard or something.
And replay: if we have replay, let's have it for everything that matters, not just things that don't matter. An offside call on an onside kick—to me, that matters; that's easy. But I don't like challenges that lengthen the game. And watching baseball with the plate challenges: robotic officials would be my final wish. If we could get robotic officials, I'd be really happy.
On the impact of sports psychologist Dr. Lionel "Lonnie" Rosen…
Dr. Rosen has been here since Nick Saban was here. He helps more players than anything, especially through tough times like when Cassius Winston's brother passed away. He is very unique and very good. He doesn't have to say a lot to get a lot done.
He is a treasure here who doesn't get enough credit nationwide. Special, special human being. If you're worried about me retiring, Lonnie is 109, so I think I'm just going to grow a beard like him and let my hair go, because nobody questions him. He should be cherished here because he is an incredible guy that helps a lot of players and coaches here.
On memories of facing Jim Calhoun's UConn team in 2000 with Muhammad Ali in the locker room…
UConn playing here in 2000 was one of my favorite memories. Calhoun was crazy, and we beat them, but my favorite memory was Muhammad Ali coming to the game. He brought his wife, kids, and friends—they had 10 tickets.
Can you imagine: we're top-five, they're top-10, big CBS game. Mateen Cleaves is sitting in the locker room, and I didn't tell him Muhammad was coming. I walked into that locker room with Muhammad Ali, and I had to tie Mateen down to the locker, it was unbelievable. The problem is everything's the same—same arena, we're both going to be ranked high, Danny (Hurley)'s a good coach, national champion, but Muhammad's not here to give that pregame speech he gave then. It was spectacular and short, and about having the heart of a lion I had to and being a champion. We were ahead 51-17 at halftime. We've had a good relationship, we've played in Final Four's, Danny Hurley is a good friend of mine, an intense coach. We have two programs playing for a lot, and that's to get better and better and better, and see where it takes us. So, I'm looking forward to it, but I miss Muhammad Ali for a lot of things. I got a chance to go down to his house in Berrien Springs, and a lot of memories, but the best one was his speech, and what he said to the players. I've never had a team do that against any team, much less a top 10 team, so I give him credit for that, not me.
On Jordan Scott's development and expanding offensive responsibilities…
He was the surprise last year. We did not think he would come in and play a lot or start, but he just earned his way. He plays as hard, as consistent, and as efficient as any player I've had in a long, long time. Very few mistakes. Ask him to guard somebody, cut out, or rebound, and he does it.
With CJ (Carlos Medlock Jr.) out for a couple days with a minor ding, Jordan handled the ball and initiated offense in practice. He can play three positions, has great size, and is smart on the court and in the classroom, and he's becoming a very good player.
On connecting with Michigan State fans and supporting students through adversity…
It's better than winning. Sooner or later, that's what you get remembered for: how you inspire people, whether it's your players, the student section, or donor/alumni. That's why I'm here. Some people go dipping around for different jobs, but I want to be part of the fabric of this place. If a video, phone call, or visit helped someone through a hard time, that's a privilege.
On what will separate the top teams in the Big Ten this season…
The same old, same old: defending, rebounding, and taking care of the ball. People call me old-school, but that hasn't changed in 100 years. If there's an area that I think I've failed us here, I don't think I've done a good enough job with the turnovers. If we can get our turnovers down from 13 or 14 to eight or nine, we'll be a much better team. When teams start getting accolades, the first thing that usually goes is defense and rebounding because guys want pretty-boy things instead of grinding things. So that's what I'm going to be looking at; do we keep our mentality? Do we keep what helps everybody win in every sport? And that's what I'm looking forward to.
On Jesse McCullough playing minutes at the five…
He'll play both the four and the five. Tall doesn't automatically mean great—tall just gives you a chance to be greater than the guy that's shorter. Jesse's got the mentality and skill set. He's not the most athletic guy, so depending on matchups, playing him at the five gives us great spacing and shooting while keeping him in good defensive positions.
Closing Statement…
Thanks for the great showing. Keep things in perspective: 5,498 kids at the Campout asked me if we're getting to Detroit for the Final Four. We've got to worry about today, worry about UConn, and get better every day. We've been No.1 in the country one year and barely made the tournament. We've been a seven seed and made the final four. We were a two seed and played against a seven or eight seed UConn in New York, and they beat us.
So, I've done it both ways; what this year is about is getting better, and I know that's coach talk, but it's so true. You've got to get better everyday. And then experiencing everything in the tournament, I think plays to your side of things.
It's going to be interesting to see who stays hungry, who avoids entitlement, and who gets spoiled, and who keeps the grind. If we do that, we have a food chance to be a very successful team, and that's what I'm looking forward to. And for all of you: this football program is going somewhere in the near future. Hang with them like I'm going to, believe in them, believe in Pat Fitzgerald, and that's what's important.
Thank you.
Players Mentioned
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/ Men's Basketball
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/ Men's Basketball
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/ Men's Basketball
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/ Men's Basketball
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C
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/ Men's Basketball
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/ Men's BasketballThursday, October 15
Friday, October 02
Tuesday, September 22
Monday, March 23