Michigan State University Athletics
Post-Game Quotes: Incarnate Word
10/2/2026 10:25:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Michigan State Head Coach Tom Izzo
Opening Statement...
Well, you saw why freshmen are freshmen. I thought they bounced back, but it was a struggle there for a while. But I was pleased with most of the game. I mean, I told you some guys that have gotten better: I said Jordan Scott has gotten better, I said that Jesse (McCullough) has gotten a lot better. And Jeremy (Fears Jr.), I thought Jeremy and Coen (Carr) just kind of played within themselves, but we've got to get Coen (Carr) more shots. He has worked on his game, he is better at it, and sometimes he's too unselfish.
It was nice to see (Jasiah) Jervis come back and make some shots. It was really nice to see Kur Teng do some things. If there's a negative, our bigs still have got a ways to go working on ball screens, movement, things like that. We need a lot more coaching, and we need a lot more playing, but that's what happens when you play a game in two weeks.
So, all in all, I was somewhat pleased. I actually thought they had three guys that could really make some shots. I thought they did a good job of driving us. Probably the most disappointing thing of the night was the number of turnovers. I think they deserve some credit, and we deserve a lot of blame. But we shot a decent 52%, 43% (from three), and 80% from the line … we didn't get to the line enough. 25 assists.
And maybe my favorite play of the night: Jeremy (Fears Jr.) hadn't scored a lot of points, preseason All-American, breakaway, and he gets a freshman a bucket. I think that speaks to his maturity and growth, and it was almost an exciting play for me.
So, I know you've got a million questions, and I'll answer all of them.
On what points will be emphasized when evaluating the film heading into the next exhibition…
Well, we're going to spend some time on ball-screen coverage, which we have spent a lot of time on. I'm going to spend a lot of time on not turning the ball over.
We rebounded pretty well; it was a smaller team. We did knock some balls loose, too. Jeremy (Fears Jr.) getting six steals was really good, and he got his hands on that. Jordan Scott got his hands on a lot.
But you never can do what I did in a real game, where you're just subbing four and five, five and five, breaking momentum, doing all the things. I just wanted to look at different people, and we wanted to look at different lineups. So, we accomplished what we wanted to accomplish, even though it was painful there for probably a 10-minute stretch. The next exhibition game, it gets a little harder with UConn being a top-five team.
On the energy of the Izzone Campout taking place outside and addressing the crowd…
Yeah, I was amazed. I thought early on that maybe they wouldn't, and I think a lot of people were at the hockey game, and that was great. To get that kind of crowd—and the Izzone, all of them sitting upstairs, there were probably 4,000 people upstairs—that's just so impressive. We've got to find a way to get that kind of enthusiasm over to football, and I think that's one of my goals.
And yet I was so appreciative. I think they had a good time, and I think they're going to have a good time tonight. You should all stop by before you leave, because it is one of the unique things that we have at Michigan State, and I'm damn proud of it. I get to spend a night with the people. They do something for us, and I get to do something for them, and that's the beauty of the Campout, the student group, and just spending time.
When I watched those tents go up today, I just sat in my office and went, "Wow." And then it was like 5 p.m., and they all started coming over like a herd of cattle to get in line to get in. It was amazing; I just couldn't believe the numbers. They say it might be a record thing again; we've broken the record three or four years in a row. So, if we have one more good year, Jack (Ebling) said he's going to camp out, that'll be a sight for sore eyes (Izzo said jokingly).
On how the team handled playing under the lights in front of a real crowd for the first time…
Oh, yeah. I thought that was what was great. A couple of our freshmen – things they thought they could do, you can't do it, and they'll learn from that. I thought when they went in the second and third time, they played better. That's all part of the deal.
Remember, normally we're having one of these games about the 20th of October, not a couple days into October. So, I'm not disappointed with anything, even though turnovers are something that a coach can't deal with, and the ball-screen defense bothered me a little bit because we've worked pretty hard on it. Those guys are going to work a lot harder on that this week.
On Jesse McCullough starting at the four…
Yeah, and part of that's because Cam (Ward) is out, but Jesse's (McCullough) going to probably play a lot of five. I mean, I told you, he's improved. He really has improved: he can shoot it, he's gotten more athletic, he's stronger. Jesse McCullough is one of the things that our fans better start appreciating about our program. I don't know what he'll do from here on out, but here is a guy that nobody thought that much of. That kid, when everybody went home this summer in May, he stayed here for all but two days of it. When they were gone and went home for a month, he stayed here, he lifted, he shot. He probably worked harder than anybody I have on my team this summer.
I said to Doug Wojcik on the bench: if only we could document this, if we could have taken a movie of it and showed people—the guys that work the hardest get the most in return. He's a prime example of that.
On the team's improved three-point shooting compared to last season…
Yeah, I think we're a lot better shooting team. I do think Kur (Teng) is going to bring a lot. Jordan Scott is a very good three-point shooter. The guy that's one of the best three-point shooters went 0-for-3, and that was Carlos (Medlock Jr.). Jasiah (Jervis) bounced back and went 3-for-4, and I think he can make those shots all night long.
I think (Anton) Bonke got carried away there a little bit, but he was happy about making a three, any big guy that makes a three is happy. But I do think we're a better three-point shooting team, and hopefully that'll pan out.
On Kur Teng hitting his first corner three after returning from off-season foot surgery…
It was a good moment for the bench, the trainer, and the players. That's what I love about these teams the last couple years: the bench, the players, the coaches, and the trainer. (Jeremy) Fears Jr. was so fired up when he made that shot, it was scary.
Kur (Teng) has worked his tail off, too. But he's been out for five, six, seven months, and just started midway through the summer getting back somewhat. So that was really encouraging. We said we were only going to play him 10 minutes; we played him nine-and-a-half, so right about what we said we would do. All in all, it was really good for him. He's still not completely back.
I thought the other guy that struggled a little bit was Kaleb (Glenn). Part of the reason is we've been playing him at different positions. He worked at the three a lot, and then when Cam (Ward) went down, we moved him around a little bit. So, some of it was that, but some of it was that he didn't play for a year, and it's not going to come overnight.
On Kur Teng and Jesse McCullough actively recruiting freshmen who could compete for their minutes…
Yeah, Jesse (McCullough) is – and I'll be honest, Kur (Teng) is not nearly the outward guy that Jesse (McCullough) is, but Kur (Teng) did an unbelievable job in recruiting. Jesse (McCullough) has been phenomenal for two years.
We better appreciate this, because it isn't going on everywhere in college basketball. Other places might have better players or better coaches, but what we've got is pretty special: for guys to do that, for Jeremy (Fears Jr.) to give up the ball (to a freshman), It's all part of what I dream of having here.
Now we've got to get better. There are things that were disappointing, but I don't want to ruin my Campout. I'm not going to sleep enough as it is, so I don't want to have other things bothering me. But we've got some work to do, no doubt. Keep reminding yourself: most teams are going to start playing a week or two from now, so this will give us a good chance to say, "This is really what we need to work on."
On playing an all-freshman lineup together and what he learned from that experimentation…
Yeah, that was insane – insane by the head coach. That's inviting problems, and the biggest problem was the lack of communication. That's the biggest problem with freshmen. If I could just convince Nike to put cell phones on their belt buckles so I could text them and tell them what to do, it would work out better. They just don't communicate very well, and that's going to take time.
And yet, I like the fact that they bounced back. Carlos (Medlock Jr.) is a hell of a player; him and Jasiah (Jervis) are going to be dynamite there. They came back and did a little better job, but they struggled a little bit. That's kind of college basketball right now.
On using full-court pressure and the defensive execution in the press…
Yeah, I thought it was good. Again, we had some guys out of position. A lot of times it was Kaleb (Glenn), and sometimes it was Julius (Avent) and Kaleb (Glenn) that just didn't understand what we were doing. We just tried to do it on dead-ball situations. Hopefully we'll get better and do it on live-ball situations, too. We are going to try to put some pressure on some people and get the game sped up.
I did not think our transition game was great. They had more fast-break points than we did, but most of that was those turnovers. They got 21 points off our turnovers. We got some off theirs, but we shouldn't have that many turnovers.
Closing Statement…
Well, like I said, I hope you respect the fact that those students were unbelievable, and so were the fans. Not an easy night with a different situation, and I thought they showed up. When you walk by out there as you leave, I'm going to have some fun tonight with those kids. They've been unbelievable over the years, and I'm going to recruit some of them to get over in that corner for football and see if we can keep it going.
Everywhere else it seems like the students are not doing quite as much, maybe other interests and things, and that's why you've got to do stuff with them. You've got to let them know how important they are. I've said it before and I'll say it again: won 54 games straight here, and our students won a lot of them. We're just not that good without them.
Home court means a lot. Fans were great.
Senior Guard Jeremy Fears Jr.
Opening Statement...
Shoutout to Jesse (McCulloch), shoutout to the team; they played hard. Happy we finally got a game in October. Shoutout to the guys.
How does it feel to be a senior and hear your name called?
Great, surprising a little bit, and it came quickly. I still remember freshman year. I didn't know what to expect, playing Monyball, but now you know I get to put on a jersey senior year and try to make something special happen."
What have you seen from Jesse McCulloch in the off-season and in games?
Obviously hard work. Even when it was his freshman year, we kind of knew he was going to redshirt, but he had a smile and was ready to work. This season he got it; he understood the process and the grind. I am just glad he is finally showing it and seeing it this far in two years since he got here. Overall, just sticking with the process and the grind through it all and constantly getting better.
On what he saw from the the bench and from the freshman...
It was special, those guys are a special group, and they all bring something different to the table. They all can score, and they all can defend with them getting used to college. They made some mistakes; they were not perfect…I have a job, Coen (Carr), Kur (Teng) have a job to help them and show them the way on the team and try to do anything to help them. They are inexperienced, and we have experience.
On the possibility of getting to 400 assists this season...
If the guys can make enough shots, and if Coen (Carr) can make enough lobs, and if Anton (Bonke) can pick-and-roll. I am not really looking for that, but I think we have the pieces, and I think we have the shot-making guys. We have the stretch-forward, we got the slash-and-forward, the point guards. We got a little bit of everything, so my job is to just get them the ball; they got the hard part, and I think it is possible.
On Kur (Teng) hitting that three and the work that has gone in from him…
Another guy that did not play as a freshman…I can kind of relate to freshman not really playing and the fact that we stuck through the process and we got better over time. The system, the game, the team. It is good to reward the guys who worked their tail off. I trust the world in Kur (Teng), and he trusts the world in me, so I told him every time he gets the ball, shoot it. That is that mindset I have for him and that perspective.
What do you look forward to getting out there with the fans for the campout?
The Freshman crowd surfing for the guys that have never been here. They get to crowd surf, and I remember my first time crowd surfing; it was an experience. It was an experience that I had never experienced before, with them being out there and enjoying it and getting in the tents and getting hot dogs and burgers, but overall, just enjoy the people who are out all night for us and just to show up and support.
Junior Forward Jesse McCulloch
On his commitment over the summer…
Knowing that my teammates need me and I wasn't the only person here in and out throughout the summer. We were all working together, pushing each other and trying to get to the best level.
On the changes he made over the summer…
I feel like my body has changed a lot. I am slimming down, getting stronger, getting more lean. I was working out and lifting a lot, and I was getting a lot of the shots in workouts.
On his progression throughout the seasons…
I feel like that just shows the culture of Michigan State here. I had some great mentors. I had Jax (Jaxon Kohler) and Coop (Carson Cooper) I learned from them. I just kept my head down and worked every day, and that's what my teammates told me to do, is just keep your head down and keep working and it's gonna be your time eventually.
What does it do for the team to be able to score at such a high rate…
I learned a lot from Jax (Jaxon Kohler). He had the same shot every time, and it's really just trust, my teammates trusting me and getting me the ball. I don't have to be a 20 point, 3-point scorer every time, but if we need it I'll do it. But it's all about my teammates, and we all being together and sticking together.
On displaying more confidence on the court…
I feel it's all about the preparation, and we prep really hard and I learned from the past guys in the court center, Jeremy (Fears), Coen (Carr), and all our leaders. Learning from them just really helped me see what I can and can't, should and should not do.
On what got him going to start the game…
Seeing the first three definitely felt good cause I work on it a lot. So just knowing that I work on it a lot and having the confidence to shoot, it really meant a lot to me.
