Michigan State University Athletics
Photo by: Matthew Mitchell
10/20/2026 10:32:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Michigan State Head Coach Tom Izzo
Opening Statement…
Disappointing. Yet, I take some of the responsibility for that. I look at the game, and we tried to play a lot of guys – we tried to play 12 guys. It's hard to do that, especially when half of them haven't played before.
Our bigs struggled a little bit. I thought UConn was good. I thought they were tough. I thought they physically beat us up a little bit, yet we outrebounded them. They made some shots; we didn't make some shots. But I thought our offense got awfully stagnant, and I think it got stagnant because we just had so many different combinations. When they went small, we haven't worked on that at all for ourselves when we went with Cam (Ward) at the 5 – just haven't done that yet. The other thing is we probably should have switched a little bit more.
So, we've got some things we've got to get better at, but that was really a good game for us. Danny (Hurley) is a good coach, he's done a great job, and they're a top team. We got it down to four, and then we just missed some free throws. We miss an offensive rebound; they get it and hit a three. Those things against good teams will be good teaching points for us in the next couple of days.
I was really disappointed with our physicality, especially screening. That's his forte: they are physical. They were more physical than us, so that'll be something fun to work on over the next couple of days.
On clarity at the center position and why Anton Bonke didn't play in the second half…
Some of the reasons were he just didn't seem as ready to play on a couple of things, but it wasn't all his fault, too. There's no clarity yet because we're one game and a half in. The clarity will come probably five to seven games from now.
I was really kind of pleased with Ethan Taylor. Jesse (McCulloch) did some good things at different positions, but he also didn't rebound as well on the defensive end. Even though he got three, I thought that hurt us a little bit – we gave up some rebounds that ended up in shots.
So, yeah, we're a work in progress at the center position, but I think we've got to do some different things coaching-wise for it, too, and a few things different offensively that I think would help them. When I say I take the blame for it, I'm not doing that to cover up for them or me. It takes a lot to play 12 guys—we played 11 once tonight—and it's just getting the right lineups in there together. It will take a little time.
On whether the first player off the bench is symbolic of practice performance or just exhibition experimentation…
Jasiah (Jervis) has earned the fact of coming off the bench early, and who else did we bring off the bench? Jesse (McCulloch). He has played hard. But we're just trying to find who we can play at center and what we can do there.
I thought Cam (Ward) and Coen (Carr) are two veterans that have to step up a little bit more, too. It's hard to blame them because I don't know if we executed properly with some of those lineups in. We made some mistakes, we had some coverage breakdowns where we struggled because of the number of young guys we had in there at times, and that's all part of why it's a preseason game, to be honest.
On Jeremy Fears Jr. staying composed despite high-emotion moments…
I thought he had one breakdown tonight, that was it. He took a really bad shot, and he got a little frustrated because guys weren't screening well enough and doing some things. But then he settled right back in, where maybe other years that would have taken him out of it for a while.
I thought he did a hell of a job and tried to play within himself. He still had eight assists and nobody made any baskets, so that's pretty good. He took 12 shots, but he took some at the end that wouldn't be the norm. We've got to get more shots for Jordan (Scott), probably more for Jasiah (Jervis) and Coen (Carr).
It's one game, and it's not a game where I can blame the players more than I can blame myself, but I did what I wanted to do. Doug Wojcik and I sat there in the morning; I even wanted to do a little better than I did it, because we were trying to get a couple more guys a couple more minutes. But to get 11 guys 10 minutes—and the only guy, Julius (Avent), that I didn't play... the one thing he brings: we were laughing on the bench because they had a couple guys a little bit heavier, a little bit bigger, 6-foot-6 or 6-foot-7. Julius (Avent) causes a lot of problems in practice, so he'll get his chance in the next game, maybe early in the next game. Then I'll kind of have figured out all 12 of them and start mixing and matching and putting the pieces together.
Danny (Hurley) said the same thing to me. Last year after our game he said to me, more or less, "You're in trouble. You're not very good right now." And I agreed – last year I didn't feel we deserved to be on the same floor with them. This year, I really did. We just didn't do the things you needed to do to win the game.
On the freshman guards' confidence and willingness to shoot…
Since I'm trying to be mellow, I'll laugh at that question, but that's a parent's question, not a reporter's. "They're not afraid to shoot" – well, when you shoot what some of those guys did, maybe they should be afraid to shoot.
In Carlos' (Medlock Jr.) case, he's just trying to learn how to deal with stronger, bigger guys. That's going to take a little while. He's ultra-quick, he can really shoot it, and he's just figuring out when he's got a shot and when he doesn't have a shot. He drove in there a couple times, got it stolen, got swallowed up, that's the difference between high school and college. But he's a tough kid, a competitive kid.
Jasiah (Jervis) is the one that I thought we've got to keep getting shots for. He missed one wide-open one, but he's played really well in practice. Made a couple of mistakes defensively, but everybody's going to, especially freshmen. I was very pleased with those guys.
Some of my veteran guys, I felt had to play a little better. Jordan Scott went 3-for-8, 0-for-2 from three – had one wide open – but the guy gets six rebounds, gets four offensive rebounds, plays the best defense. He did a good job, so we'll build on it.
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On the stagnant half-court execution and lack of transition points…
Do a better job than I did tonight, that's how you do it. Better screening, better cutting. UConn does as good a job as anybody; that's why this was going to be a good game. There's nobody in the country that cuts as well as they do. They're a very good cutting team.
Tonight they had some guys hit threes that was a little shocking – like Demary (Silas Demary Jr.). He doesn't take a lot of them, shot 30-something percent last year, but he's a very nice player. And Khamenia (Nik Khamenia), a kid who played at Duke and hurt us last year, only made two baskets, but they were critical baskets, and his role has improved. I thought those two guys played really well. Landrew (Colben Landrew) was the recipient of a lot of those cuts to the basket when some of our big guys made mistakes on ball screens. Those are just coverages that leave guys open on slips, so we'll fix that. I'm not as worried about that as I am about why we didn't do a better job screening and being more physical.
On three-point defense and structural adjustments on the perimeter…
We haven't done much with switching 1 through 4, which is what we do a lot of, because we're trying to figure out how those big guys are going to play best. There are some things that are total coaching decisions I have to make, not the players.
We just weren't as aggressive, and I thought that was a shame because the crowd was so good. I mean, I am blessed with what I have here. I mean, they were here at 5 p.m. for an exhibition game. They did their job; we didn't do our job. To have them fired up in the second half when we gave them nothing to cheer about in the first half speaks volumes about the culture of our students and our fans. Because of that, I told our players we let them down. They didn't let us down; we let them down.
On the two of the top four scorers coming off the bench and the veteran starting lineup…
You belong with those talking heads on TV, you know. One game in, let's change the quarterback, and no insult intended. But if it's taken, watch what questions you ask. I mean, one game in, no, I'm not. I'm not going to make a decision on one game in on whether I change the lineup or not. I'm looking at not only what lineups fit the other guys. Sometimes, you know, maybe I put them in the wrong position. You know, maybe it should be (senior center Anton) Bonke with maybe (senior forward) Coen (Carr), an athletic fourman. Maybe it would be this and that, so that's not all their fault. But no, I don't think I'm, you know not sure. But one fight with your boyfriend, you get rid of him? One fight with your wife, do you get rid of her, you know? I mean, I'm making fun of you because I know what Danny (UConn Head Coach Dan Hurley) would have said to you, and you wouldn't have wanted to hear it. So, I'll just keep it clean.Â
On how the game is about players like redshirt-sophomore forward Jesse McCulloch and sophomore forward Jordan Scott building new roles…
This was the best game we could have played in the country. You know, we couldn't have played a better team, better coached, better team, better offense that they run. This was the best exhibition game we could play. If I would have, you know, I'd rather play them than the Lakers. You know, I really mean that. Just for us, for the situation, knowing what he (Hurley) does, knowing how there's some things similar, some things different. But, our break kind of didn't (work), became non-existent too. But the break doesn't go as good when you don't rebound as well. The keys, the phrase here is defend, rebound and run. It's not run. It's defend so that you can get a rebound, and you get a clean rebound, then you run. So I just felt like they took some things away. We took some things away. We got to make sure that the things we have control over, we take control. Things that other people dictate, we gotta adjust.Â
On if he liked the offensive looks the team got…
Some of them, I thought Jeremy's (redshirt-junior guard Jeremy Fears) was bad, but I did think we had good enough shots. I mean, (junior guard) Kur (Teng) had a couple. I mean, he was 0 for three. I thought two of his three were great shots. I thought, I mean, Siah (freshman guard Jasiah Jervis) almost airballed one. That was a great wide open look on the wing. If we get those shots, I just didn't think we were in any kind of rhythm, any kind of groove, and we just couldn't get going, and I still believe that that was my fault, not theirs. I think when you're just subbing guys, and we got Coen (Carr), we got (redshirt-junior forward) Kaleb (Glenn), who's playing the three and the four, and then gets confused on things, and that's not totally their fault, but it's not mine either. I mean, for them to play, they got to be able to do that. Coen (Carr) can handle it. I don't know if Kaleb (Glenn) can yet. That's going to take a little time.Â
On the 3-point shooting compared to the Incarnate Ward exhibition…
Yeah, and then in practice – that's what was disappointing. I mean, really, even though we end up shooting 73% from the line, we shot terribly the first half, and had 10 turnovers at halftime. Those are the two things that really changed the game. I mean, even Jeremy (Fears) missed, I think, two. Somebody missed front end. We missed a couple of those. So, those things add up, and against good teams it's hard to come back from. But don't have to worry about my guys thinking they're better than they are, and I say that tongue in cheek because practices have been great. I've seen no entitlement or thinking they're better than they are, but they got punched in a month tonight, pretty good, and that was good for us.
On redshirt-junior guard Jeremy Fears' response to an in-game injury…
I didn't see what happened. Did anybody see what happened… they said it's just a regular sprain. It wasn't a coming down from up top, and you know his dunk you can see there's more athleticism than we've seen, taking it to the hole better. He's shooting the ball better. Jeremy has played, to be very honest with you, as good as any player I've had go from junior to senior in a while. I mean, Denzel (Valentine), guys like that. Jeremy's had a hell of a summer and a hell of a – but some guys got to rise up with him too. Now, probably for this early played him, we wanted to play him 26, 28 minutes, and we played him 31. And just because we had some guys got a little deer in the headlights, and also the game gets competitive with the crowd there. I did what I wanted to do. Was my decisions, and I stand by them. But we still, even the next game, we got to figure out maybe to do a little better job figuring out who we can sub with, who not only just subbing, but who they're playing with, and not have three guys that don't know what they're doing. We had Kaleb (Glenn) and three guys at one time. That was maybe the things that you got to look at the coach on.Â
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On redshirt-junior guard Jeremy Fears' development defensively…
Well, that's a really good question. I didn't think anybody would pick up. He has done a much better job defensively, and at times he really got into it and caused some problems. You know, would I like to see that consistent? I would, and if I did a better job subbing him, I think that'll happen. So, yeah, he's been much better defensively. What I got to get now is Coen (Carr) and Jasiah (Jervis) is a good defensive player. It was fun having Gary Harris here. Came up with his whole family, and as most of you know, when I signed Jasiah, I said he could be the next Gary Harris, and I had Gary talk to him a little bit, and hopefully that'll help. But I thought Jasiah competed pretty good, and made a couple mistakes on backdoors and that because he was trying to be too aggressive, not lacking. But, we got work to do, but we still have pieces that I like, and I got beat by a damn good team tonight, and you know, last year we got beat by them, and we ended up turning things around. I don't think we're turning anything around. I just think we got to do a better job as coaches of figuring how the pieces fit, and that'll happen. It'll take some time. It's no insult that some of the questions you're asking, but you do what I do, I could have played three dogs and won by 40, and there's a sick part of me because I am a little sick, as you guys know. I don't mean sick feeling, little sick demented a little bit. There's a sick part of me that is kind of happy we got our butts kicked because some of the reasons we got our butts kicked were things that we harped on, and so now the film will do the talking, not the coach. The coach is going to do some talking tomorrow too, I promise. But the film's going to do more talking than the coach, so I appreciate it. Take that. Don't get rid of anybody, your friend, the family member on one game or one one meeting. Don't think that things are going to happen overnight because they're not. We got a lot of new people we played. We got a lot of people back, but, like Glenn back, but he didn't, he was out nine months. Didn't even practice half the year last year, so those guys is going to take a little while, and we'll get them better. But there are enough pieces to the team that I like, that we'll be better on Sunday.Â
UConn Head Coach Dan Hurley
Opening statement...
Thank you, awesome, just what an opportunity for both of us here today to be able to and going into it, I just kept thinking this is gonna be some high level sparring, like two boxers that are getting ready for a major fight that starts in November for both of us and today was just two boxers sparring in a gym. I mean, the physicality, the intensity of the game you know to get a chance to play and coach here too is just you know, for somebody that just loves the game, and has grown up in it, comes from such a basketball family. Just an honor to play a game here and hopefully we were able to put something together and maybe make it a regular season. Games being played here but it was just, I was in the building in the early 2010s, 11s, recruiting a player when I was at Rhode Island named D.C. Matthews who played at Romulus, played for Nate Oates. I remember sitting up in one of those sections, watching the game and hoping someday to maybe coach in the building and it was kind of like for a basketball person, just a dream come true to be able to play against one of Coach Izzo's teams in the building. The atmosphere, it's one of the best places. The fact that that was an exhibition game blows my mind, because it's probably the closest thing I've seen to like a Kansas type of feel with the crowd. It lived up to everything I thought it would be.
On the physicality of the game...
We were just bracing for impact, just playing against these guys just of so much respect for the culture, the way they go about playing their staff, their physicality, I mean when you play them you're going to wake up sore and feel it the next day. I was pleasantly surprised with how we held up, obviously the game itself we've got areas that we've got to improve upon. Obviously we turned it over, we didn't close the game out well, we got to get healthy. You know, we got to get a little healthier. Obviously with [UConn guard] Braylon [Miles] and potentially [UConn guard] Solo [Ball] later, but yeah I think for them, you know if their team could figure out the center thing, they got three viable guys there and it'd all bring different things. I think that once they get this center thing together, I think they've got one of the best teams in the country.
On how this game will help them throughout the season...
Yeah, I think what we just talked about with them in the pregame was, you win it, you don't get anything for it. It's not gonna help our tournament resume, it doesn't really do anything for your season itself, except just kind of plant the seed. In these exhibition games, you're just trying to plant a seed about who you are and in case you see a team later in the year, winning these nonconference and some of these exhibition things, for us it was beneficial last year even though it was an exhibition game in Hartford, it gave us confidence in that game, beating Illinois in the non-conference and then you see them again in the Final Four. You just kind to kind of plant these seeds in the exhibition and in the non-conference.
On [MSU sophomore forward] Jordan Hall's improvement...
The guy looked like he was 6'8 out there, and then stronger…he's a stud. What they've got with [MSU guard] Jeremy Fears, and [MSU forward] Coen Carr, and Scott, and obviously you know [MSU guard] Kur Teng is getting healthy… and [MSU guard] Jasiah Jervis off the bench, and getting [MSU forward] Cam Ward back today, and having flexibility with [MSU forward] Jesse McCulloch to play some four, to play some five. I think the young center is talented; I think they had three different types of centers... obviously McCulloch could swing back and forth… I think they have everything you need to be a national championship contender. Right now they gotta figure out that center spot. We got our own s*** that we got to figure out because that wasn't exactly an Oppenheimer performance. It's an exhibition. We're all practicing.
On the young players picking up on the offense…
Right now, they're some of the areas we are struggling because that's how coaches think…we are not thinking about what went well…you think about our vulnerabilities, and we got to get our inside game going. We didn't get enough post catches, but we cut real well. We've got to get our interior offensive post-up game. It's like our running game. We don't have it where we need it to be right now, but I think just playing without Braylon (Mullins). Braylon is such a prolific player. I think him not being available kind of forced us to cut better, work on execution, and know our shuffles, our twirls, the things that we do to put pressure on the rim without a ball screen and roll or a post up, the cutting…we're hopeful we'll be able to get Braylon (Mullins) back this week.
On the prep for environment, if any…
For us as a program, when we go and play a lot of places, we feel like we go in with a culture advantage. We go in with a toughness advantage, and we try to make it clear to the players that, you know, there's no culture advantage when you play Michigan State. Their culture, their coaches, all the staff, and I mean those guys are soldiers. Guys, we are going to be looking in the mirror when we go there…At best, you know, it's like a program that we try to emulate… and Izzo, I know, as a coach, my whole career as a college assistant, high school coach, to this day, coach is a mentor for me and somebody that I tried to model myself after…what do they say? He's like your coach's favorite coach.
On Silas (Demary Jr.) and what he brings to the team this year…
That was just an awesome matchup. I think for both guys there, I think you know, so valuable for Fears and for Silas there just to have that type of matchup still in October. I thought it was just high-level. Two of the best point guards in the country, two potential All-Americans. I mean, Silas, obviously, we need All-American-level play from him, and obviously, I thought he was awesome in a hard matchup. Their ball screen defense is great, and Fears screen defense is great, and Fears is a heck of player. So that wasn't an easy matchup to play well in.
Michigan State Sophomore Forward Cam Ward
Thoughts on what team needs to do to establish physicality...
We have to hit first. I think we started off well. Towards the middle of the first half and throughout the rest of the game, we did not respond well to them punching us first. They had a lot of slip action that we did not recover off of. The physicality was there all game, but they out matched our physicality on a lot of the key things that we are always great at.
With national title talent, how will center position get better and make everything click...
I feel like everyone has their own strengths. I see every day in practice how these guys can contribute, especially at the five spot. We have a lot of talented guys at the five. We have a lot of talent in the front court too, including our fours in me, Coen (Carr), and Kaleb (Glenn). We have guys that can stretch the floor and do different things. I think we have to show that on a night-to-night basis. Tonight, we did not show that, and credit to Dan (Hurley) for knowing the things we were going to run and taking away our action, especially down the stretch. We have to keep finding ways to affect the opposition down the stretch.
Michigan State Freshman Forward Ethan Taylor
Thoughts on performance rotating in with the other posts...
I think that I had a decent game. I could have done a lot of things better; I could have gotten on the glass more. I could have played harder, but I think we are all making strides at the center position. We are all exceeding expectations and proving people wrong, and we are getting better.
Thoughts on being one of two new post players and how coach is finding the right lineups...
It starts with getting everyone reps at the five spot. With me Anton (Bonke), and Jesse (McCulloch), all of us can be weapons. Some of us are going to have good nights and some of us are going to have bad nights. That is why it is important that we have three good guys that we can turn to.
Is it motivation to hear that if the center position can improve this team can win a championship...
It is certainly motivational, it gives us something to live up to, and it gives us something to drive towards. People have been looking down on us since the start of the season. That just means we have a lot to show because we are all capable.
Michigan State Sophomore Forward Jordan Scott
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On defensive mishaps...
I think we've got to play harder. Credit to them, they went ten-for-twenty-something. We didn't do that. Credit to them for hitting those shots and knocking down the open ones.
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On aggressive play & development from last year...
I'm just trying to be more physical. We knew a key was going to be rebounding against this team. Looking back on film last year, we did a good job on the offensive cuts. That was one of the positives from the March game. We knew that was going to be a point of emphasis going into this game.
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Biggest takeaways to use moving forward...
We're a beatable team. I think high expectations can make you look past that. The Final Four is in Detroit, right up the road. Trying not to look past that and knowing we still have to go and compete every game.
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Michigan State Freshman Forward Jasiah Jervis
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Overall takeaway from game...
They're a great team. Overall, I feel like we had a strong start, but I think we got carried away. We're not going to let this game determine our whole season. They're a good team. We had a couple of ups and downs, but I feel like overall, we need to get back in the lab and work on our chemistry.
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On gaining confidence early...
I'm just trying to play my role and do my job to the best of my abilities. I shoot the ball, put it on the floor, create for others, defend, and be a dog on defense.
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Thoughts on what needs to be worked on between now and the next game...
Definitely keying in on defense a little bit more. Taking pride in that, playing hard, and being the more physical team.
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Michigan State Senior Forward Coen Carr
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Takeaways from the game...
They just played harder than us, to be honest. I don't think we played hard enough the whole game. We had stretches in the second half, but the first half wasn't good, by me especially. I had two points in the first half. I feel like I could've played better and brought a lot more energy.
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On reasoning behind UCONN run in second half...
We just didn't play defense. We have to be disciplined and bear down on defense. Just be competitive, play defense, and get stops.
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Opening Statement…
Disappointing. Yet, I take some of the responsibility for that. I look at the game, and we tried to play a lot of guys – we tried to play 12 guys. It's hard to do that, especially when half of them haven't played before.
Our bigs struggled a little bit. I thought UConn was good. I thought they were tough. I thought they physically beat us up a little bit, yet we outrebounded them. They made some shots; we didn't make some shots. But I thought our offense got awfully stagnant, and I think it got stagnant because we just had so many different combinations. When they went small, we haven't worked on that at all for ourselves when we went with Cam (Ward) at the 5 – just haven't done that yet. The other thing is we probably should have switched a little bit more.
So, we've got some things we've got to get better at, but that was really a good game for us. Danny (Hurley) is a good coach, he's done a great job, and they're a top team. We got it down to four, and then we just missed some free throws. We miss an offensive rebound; they get it and hit a three. Those things against good teams will be good teaching points for us in the next couple of days.
I was really disappointed with our physicality, especially screening. That's his forte: they are physical. They were more physical than us, so that'll be something fun to work on over the next couple of days.
On clarity at the center position and why Anton Bonke didn't play in the second half…
Some of the reasons were he just didn't seem as ready to play on a couple of things, but it wasn't all his fault, too. There's no clarity yet because we're one game and a half in. The clarity will come probably five to seven games from now.
I was really kind of pleased with Ethan Taylor. Jesse (McCulloch) did some good things at different positions, but he also didn't rebound as well on the defensive end. Even though he got three, I thought that hurt us a little bit – we gave up some rebounds that ended up in shots.
So, yeah, we're a work in progress at the center position, but I think we've got to do some different things coaching-wise for it, too, and a few things different offensively that I think would help them. When I say I take the blame for it, I'm not doing that to cover up for them or me. It takes a lot to play 12 guys—we played 11 once tonight—and it's just getting the right lineups in there together. It will take a little time.
On whether the first player off the bench is symbolic of practice performance or just exhibition experimentation…
Jasiah (Jervis) has earned the fact of coming off the bench early, and who else did we bring off the bench? Jesse (McCulloch). He has played hard. But we're just trying to find who we can play at center and what we can do there.
I thought Cam (Ward) and Coen (Carr) are two veterans that have to step up a little bit more, too. It's hard to blame them because I don't know if we executed properly with some of those lineups in. We made some mistakes, we had some coverage breakdowns where we struggled because of the number of young guys we had in there at times, and that's all part of why it's a preseason game, to be honest.
On Jeremy Fears Jr. staying composed despite high-emotion moments…
I thought he had one breakdown tonight, that was it. He took a really bad shot, and he got a little frustrated because guys weren't screening well enough and doing some things. But then he settled right back in, where maybe other years that would have taken him out of it for a while.
I thought he did a hell of a job and tried to play within himself. He still had eight assists and nobody made any baskets, so that's pretty good. He took 12 shots, but he took some at the end that wouldn't be the norm. We've got to get more shots for Jordan (Scott), probably more for Jasiah (Jervis) and Coen (Carr).
It's one game, and it's not a game where I can blame the players more than I can blame myself, but I did what I wanted to do. Doug Wojcik and I sat there in the morning; I even wanted to do a little better than I did it, because we were trying to get a couple more guys a couple more minutes. But to get 11 guys 10 minutes—and the only guy, Julius (Avent), that I didn't play... the one thing he brings: we were laughing on the bench because they had a couple guys a little bit heavier, a little bit bigger, 6-foot-6 or 6-foot-7. Julius (Avent) causes a lot of problems in practice, so he'll get his chance in the next game, maybe early in the next game. Then I'll kind of have figured out all 12 of them and start mixing and matching and putting the pieces together.
Danny (Hurley) said the same thing to me. Last year after our game he said to me, more or less, "You're in trouble. You're not very good right now." And I agreed – last year I didn't feel we deserved to be on the same floor with them. This year, I really did. We just didn't do the things you needed to do to win the game.
On the freshman guards' confidence and willingness to shoot…
Since I'm trying to be mellow, I'll laugh at that question, but that's a parent's question, not a reporter's. "They're not afraid to shoot" – well, when you shoot what some of those guys did, maybe they should be afraid to shoot.
In Carlos' (Medlock Jr.) case, he's just trying to learn how to deal with stronger, bigger guys. That's going to take a little while. He's ultra-quick, he can really shoot it, and he's just figuring out when he's got a shot and when he doesn't have a shot. He drove in there a couple times, got it stolen, got swallowed up, that's the difference between high school and college. But he's a tough kid, a competitive kid.
Jasiah (Jervis) is the one that I thought we've got to keep getting shots for. He missed one wide-open one, but he's played really well in practice. Made a couple of mistakes defensively, but everybody's going to, especially freshmen. I was very pleased with those guys.
Some of my veteran guys, I felt had to play a little better. Jordan Scott went 3-for-8, 0-for-2 from three – had one wide open – but the guy gets six rebounds, gets four offensive rebounds, plays the best defense. He did a good job, so we'll build on it.
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On the stagnant half-court execution and lack of transition points…
Do a better job than I did tonight, that's how you do it. Better screening, better cutting. UConn does as good a job as anybody; that's why this was going to be a good game. There's nobody in the country that cuts as well as they do. They're a very good cutting team.
Tonight they had some guys hit threes that was a little shocking – like Demary (Silas Demary Jr.). He doesn't take a lot of them, shot 30-something percent last year, but he's a very nice player. And Khamenia (Nik Khamenia), a kid who played at Duke and hurt us last year, only made two baskets, but they were critical baskets, and his role has improved. I thought those two guys played really well. Landrew (Colben Landrew) was the recipient of a lot of those cuts to the basket when some of our big guys made mistakes on ball screens. Those are just coverages that leave guys open on slips, so we'll fix that. I'm not as worried about that as I am about why we didn't do a better job screening and being more physical.
On three-point defense and structural adjustments on the perimeter…
We haven't done much with switching 1 through 4, which is what we do a lot of, because we're trying to figure out how those big guys are going to play best. There are some things that are total coaching decisions I have to make, not the players.
We just weren't as aggressive, and I thought that was a shame because the crowd was so good. I mean, I am blessed with what I have here. I mean, they were here at 5 p.m. for an exhibition game. They did their job; we didn't do our job. To have them fired up in the second half when we gave them nothing to cheer about in the first half speaks volumes about the culture of our students and our fans. Because of that, I told our players we let them down. They didn't let us down; we let them down.
On the two of the top four scorers coming off the bench and the veteran starting lineup…
You belong with those talking heads on TV, you know. One game in, let's change the quarterback, and no insult intended. But if it's taken, watch what questions you ask. I mean, one game in, no, I'm not. I'm not going to make a decision on one game in on whether I change the lineup or not. I'm looking at not only what lineups fit the other guys. Sometimes, you know, maybe I put them in the wrong position. You know, maybe it should be (senior center Anton) Bonke with maybe (senior forward) Coen (Carr), an athletic fourman. Maybe it would be this and that, so that's not all their fault. But no, I don't think I'm, you know not sure. But one fight with your boyfriend, you get rid of him? One fight with your wife, do you get rid of her, you know? I mean, I'm making fun of you because I know what Danny (UConn Head Coach Dan Hurley) would have said to you, and you wouldn't have wanted to hear it. So, I'll just keep it clean.Â
On how the game is about players like redshirt-sophomore forward Jesse McCulloch and sophomore forward Jordan Scott building new roles…
This was the best game we could have played in the country. You know, we couldn't have played a better team, better coached, better team, better offense that they run. This was the best exhibition game we could play. If I would have, you know, I'd rather play them than the Lakers. You know, I really mean that. Just for us, for the situation, knowing what he (Hurley) does, knowing how there's some things similar, some things different. But, our break kind of didn't (work), became non-existent too. But the break doesn't go as good when you don't rebound as well. The keys, the phrase here is defend, rebound and run. It's not run. It's defend so that you can get a rebound, and you get a clean rebound, then you run. So I just felt like they took some things away. We took some things away. We got to make sure that the things we have control over, we take control. Things that other people dictate, we gotta adjust.Â
On if he liked the offensive looks the team got…
Some of them, I thought Jeremy's (redshirt-junior guard Jeremy Fears) was bad, but I did think we had good enough shots. I mean, (junior guard) Kur (Teng) had a couple. I mean, he was 0 for three. I thought two of his three were great shots. I thought, I mean, Siah (freshman guard Jasiah Jervis) almost airballed one. That was a great wide open look on the wing. If we get those shots, I just didn't think we were in any kind of rhythm, any kind of groove, and we just couldn't get going, and I still believe that that was my fault, not theirs. I think when you're just subbing guys, and we got Coen (Carr), we got (redshirt-junior forward) Kaleb (Glenn), who's playing the three and the four, and then gets confused on things, and that's not totally their fault, but it's not mine either. I mean, for them to play, they got to be able to do that. Coen (Carr) can handle it. I don't know if Kaleb (Glenn) can yet. That's going to take a little time.Â
On the 3-point shooting compared to the Incarnate Ward exhibition…
Yeah, and then in practice – that's what was disappointing. I mean, really, even though we end up shooting 73% from the line, we shot terribly the first half, and had 10 turnovers at halftime. Those are the two things that really changed the game. I mean, even Jeremy (Fears) missed, I think, two. Somebody missed front end. We missed a couple of those. So, those things add up, and against good teams it's hard to come back from. But don't have to worry about my guys thinking they're better than they are, and I say that tongue in cheek because practices have been great. I've seen no entitlement or thinking they're better than they are, but they got punched in a month tonight, pretty good, and that was good for us.
On redshirt-junior guard Jeremy Fears' response to an in-game injury…
I didn't see what happened. Did anybody see what happened… they said it's just a regular sprain. It wasn't a coming down from up top, and you know his dunk you can see there's more athleticism than we've seen, taking it to the hole better. He's shooting the ball better. Jeremy has played, to be very honest with you, as good as any player I've had go from junior to senior in a while. I mean, Denzel (Valentine), guys like that. Jeremy's had a hell of a summer and a hell of a – but some guys got to rise up with him too. Now, probably for this early played him, we wanted to play him 26, 28 minutes, and we played him 31. And just because we had some guys got a little deer in the headlights, and also the game gets competitive with the crowd there. I did what I wanted to do. Was my decisions, and I stand by them. But we still, even the next game, we got to figure out maybe to do a little better job figuring out who we can sub with, who not only just subbing, but who they're playing with, and not have three guys that don't know what they're doing. We had Kaleb (Glenn) and three guys at one time. That was maybe the things that you got to look at the coach on.Â
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On redshirt-junior guard Jeremy Fears' development defensively…
Well, that's a really good question. I didn't think anybody would pick up. He has done a much better job defensively, and at times he really got into it and caused some problems. You know, would I like to see that consistent? I would, and if I did a better job subbing him, I think that'll happen. So, yeah, he's been much better defensively. What I got to get now is Coen (Carr) and Jasiah (Jervis) is a good defensive player. It was fun having Gary Harris here. Came up with his whole family, and as most of you know, when I signed Jasiah, I said he could be the next Gary Harris, and I had Gary talk to him a little bit, and hopefully that'll help. But I thought Jasiah competed pretty good, and made a couple mistakes on backdoors and that because he was trying to be too aggressive, not lacking. But, we got work to do, but we still have pieces that I like, and I got beat by a damn good team tonight, and you know, last year we got beat by them, and we ended up turning things around. I don't think we're turning anything around. I just think we got to do a better job as coaches of figuring how the pieces fit, and that'll happen. It'll take some time. It's no insult that some of the questions you're asking, but you do what I do, I could have played three dogs and won by 40, and there's a sick part of me because I am a little sick, as you guys know. I don't mean sick feeling, little sick demented a little bit. There's a sick part of me that is kind of happy we got our butts kicked because some of the reasons we got our butts kicked were things that we harped on, and so now the film will do the talking, not the coach. The coach is going to do some talking tomorrow too, I promise. But the film's going to do more talking than the coach, so I appreciate it. Take that. Don't get rid of anybody, your friend, the family member on one game or one one meeting. Don't think that things are going to happen overnight because they're not. We got a lot of new people we played. We got a lot of people back, but, like Glenn back, but he didn't, he was out nine months. Didn't even practice half the year last year, so those guys is going to take a little while, and we'll get them better. But there are enough pieces to the team that I like, that we'll be better on Sunday.Â
UConn Head Coach Dan Hurley
Opening statement...
Thank you, awesome, just what an opportunity for both of us here today to be able to and going into it, I just kept thinking this is gonna be some high level sparring, like two boxers that are getting ready for a major fight that starts in November for both of us and today was just two boxers sparring in a gym. I mean, the physicality, the intensity of the game you know to get a chance to play and coach here too is just you know, for somebody that just loves the game, and has grown up in it, comes from such a basketball family. Just an honor to play a game here and hopefully we were able to put something together and maybe make it a regular season. Games being played here but it was just, I was in the building in the early 2010s, 11s, recruiting a player when I was at Rhode Island named D.C. Matthews who played at Romulus, played for Nate Oates. I remember sitting up in one of those sections, watching the game and hoping someday to maybe coach in the building and it was kind of like for a basketball person, just a dream come true to be able to play against one of Coach Izzo's teams in the building. The atmosphere, it's one of the best places. The fact that that was an exhibition game blows my mind, because it's probably the closest thing I've seen to like a Kansas type of feel with the crowd. It lived up to everything I thought it would be.
On the physicality of the game...
We were just bracing for impact, just playing against these guys just of so much respect for the culture, the way they go about playing their staff, their physicality, I mean when you play them you're going to wake up sore and feel it the next day. I was pleasantly surprised with how we held up, obviously the game itself we've got areas that we've got to improve upon. Obviously we turned it over, we didn't close the game out well, we got to get healthy. You know, we got to get a little healthier. Obviously with [UConn guard] Braylon [Miles] and potentially [UConn guard] Solo [Ball] later, but yeah I think for them, you know if their team could figure out the center thing, they got three viable guys there and it'd all bring different things. I think that once they get this center thing together, I think they've got one of the best teams in the country.
On how this game will help them throughout the season...
Yeah, I think what we just talked about with them in the pregame was, you win it, you don't get anything for it. It's not gonna help our tournament resume, it doesn't really do anything for your season itself, except just kind of plant the seed. In these exhibition games, you're just trying to plant a seed about who you are and in case you see a team later in the year, winning these nonconference and some of these exhibition things, for us it was beneficial last year even though it was an exhibition game in Hartford, it gave us confidence in that game, beating Illinois in the non-conference and then you see them again in the Final Four. You just kind to kind of plant these seeds in the exhibition and in the non-conference.
On [MSU sophomore forward] Jordan Hall's improvement...
The guy looked like he was 6'8 out there, and then stronger…he's a stud. What they've got with [MSU guard] Jeremy Fears, and [MSU forward] Coen Carr, and Scott, and obviously you know [MSU guard] Kur Teng is getting healthy… and [MSU guard] Jasiah Jervis off the bench, and getting [MSU forward] Cam Ward back today, and having flexibility with [MSU forward] Jesse McCulloch to play some four, to play some five. I think the young center is talented; I think they had three different types of centers... obviously McCulloch could swing back and forth… I think they have everything you need to be a national championship contender. Right now they gotta figure out that center spot. We got our own s*** that we got to figure out because that wasn't exactly an Oppenheimer performance. It's an exhibition. We're all practicing.
On the young players picking up on the offense…
Right now, they're some of the areas we are struggling because that's how coaches think…we are not thinking about what went well…you think about our vulnerabilities, and we got to get our inside game going. We didn't get enough post catches, but we cut real well. We've got to get our interior offensive post-up game. It's like our running game. We don't have it where we need it to be right now, but I think just playing without Braylon (Mullins). Braylon is such a prolific player. I think him not being available kind of forced us to cut better, work on execution, and know our shuffles, our twirls, the things that we do to put pressure on the rim without a ball screen and roll or a post up, the cutting…we're hopeful we'll be able to get Braylon (Mullins) back this week.
On the prep for environment, if any…
For us as a program, when we go and play a lot of places, we feel like we go in with a culture advantage. We go in with a toughness advantage, and we try to make it clear to the players that, you know, there's no culture advantage when you play Michigan State. Their culture, their coaches, all the staff, and I mean those guys are soldiers. Guys, we are going to be looking in the mirror when we go there…At best, you know, it's like a program that we try to emulate… and Izzo, I know, as a coach, my whole career as a college assistant, high school coach, to this day, coach is a mentor for me and somebody that I tried to model myself after…what do they say? He's like your coach's favorite coach.
On Silas (Demary Jr.) and what he brings to the team this year…
That was just an awesome matchup. I think for both guys there, I think you know, so valuable for Fears and for Silas there just to have that type of matchup still in October. I thought it was just high-level. Two of the best point guards in the country, two potential All-Americans. I mean, Silas, obviously, we need All-American-level play from him, and obviously, I thought he was awesome in a hard matchup. Their ball screen defense is great, and Fears screen defense is great, and Fears is a heck of player. So that wasn't an easy matchup to play well in.
Michigan State Sophomore Forward Cam Ward
Thoughts on what team needs to do to establish physicality...
We have to hit first. I think we started off well. Towards the middle of the first half and throughout the rest of the game, we did not respond well to them punching us first. They had a lot of slip action that we did not recover off of. The physicality was there all game, but they out matched our physicality on a lot of the key things that we are always great at.
With national title talent, how will center position get better and make everything click...
I feel like everyone has their own strengths. I see every day in practice how these guys can contribute, especially at the five spot. We have a lot of talented guys at the five. We have a lot of talent in the front court too, including our fours in me, Coen (Carr), and Kaleb (Glenn). We have guys that can stretch the floor and do different things. I think we have to show that on a night-to-night basis. Tonight, we did not show that, and credit to Dan (Hurley) for knowing the things we were going to run and taking away our action, especially down the stretch. We have to keep finding ways to affect the opposition down the stretch.
Michigan State Freshman Forward Ethan Taylor
Thoughts on performance rotating in with the other posts...
I think that I had a decent game. I could have done a lot of things better; I could have gotten on the glass more. I could have played harder, but I think we are all making strides at the center position. We are all exceeding expectations and proving people wrong, and we are getting better.
Thoughts on being one of two new post players and how coach is finding the right lineups...
It starts with getting everyone reps at the five spot. With me Anton (Bonke), and Jesse (McCulloch), all of us can be weapons. Some of us are going to have good nights and some of us are going to have bad nights. That is why it is important that we have three good guys that we can turn to.
Is it motivation to hear that if the center position can improve this team can win a championship...
It is certainly motivational, it gives us something to live up to, and it gives us something to drive towards. People have been looking down on us since the start of the season. That just means we have a lot to show because we are all capable.
Michigan State Sophomore Forward Jordan Scott
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On defensive mishaps...
I think we've got to play harder. Credit to them, they went ten-for-twenty-something. We didn't do that. Credit to them for hitting those shots and knocking down the open ones.
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On aggressive play & development from last year...
I'm just trying to be more physical. We knew a key was going to be rebounding against this team. Looking back on film last year, we did a good job on the offensive cuts. That was one of the positives from the March game. We knew that was going to be a point of emphasis going into this game.
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Biggest takeaways to use moving forward...
We're a beatable team. I think high expectations can make you look past that. The Final Four is in Detroit, right up the road. Trying not to look past that and knowing we still have to go and compete every game.
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Michigan State Freshman Forward Jasiah Jervis
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Overall takeaway from game...
They're a great team. Overall, I feel like we had a strong start, but I think we got carried away. We're not going to let this game determine our whole season. They're a good team. We had a couple of ups and downs, but I feel like overall, we need to get back in the lab and work on our chemistry.
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On gaining confidence early...
I'm just trying to play my role and do my job to the best of my abilities. I shoot the ball, put it on the floor, create for others, defend, and be a dog on defense.
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Thoughts on what needs to be worked on between now and the next game...
Definitely keying in on defense a little bit more. Taking pride in that, playing hard, and being the more physical team.
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Michigan State Senior Forward Coen Carr
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Takeaways from the game...
They just played harder than us, to be honest. I don't think we played hard enough the whole game. We had stretches in the second half, but the first half wasn't good, by me especially. I had two points in the first half. I feel like I could've played better and brought a lot more energy.
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On reasoning behind UCONN run in second half...
We just didn't play defense. We have to be disciplined and bear down on defense. Just be competitive, play defense, and get stops.
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