Michigan State University Athletics
Thursday, November 5
East Lansing, Mich.
8 PM
Michigan State University
2-0,0-0Big Ten
91
vs
61
Toledo
0-2,0-0MAC
| Team | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toledo | 25 | 36 | 61 |
| Michigan St. | 48 | 43 | 91 |
Photo by: Matthew Mitchell Photography
11/5/2026 11:29:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Michigan State Head Coach Tom Izzo
Opening Statement…
Well, there were some good things. I was disappointed, and that takes nothing away from Toledo. Without [Sonny] Wilson, they weren't as good either, and I did feel they played hard and physical. I just don't think we're playing as hard or as physical. Too many dribble drives, too many guys going around guys. They missed shots, but the actions we didn't defend very well.
The free throw shooting … we work on it morning, noon and night. We shoot every night before the game, we shoot 90-some percent every time. I don't know what to say about that.
This is a different team than last year's team. On last year's team, Coop (Carson Cooper) was able to help our guards on those ball screens, and now our guards are better. Jeremy (Fears Jr.), Jasiah (Jervis), Jordan Scott, C.J. (Carlos Medlock Jr.) – those guys should be able to get into people and not need as much help, and that's why they get blown by. So that part was disheartening.
The free throw shooting was a shame. There were some great ball movements, 22 assists on 29 baskets, I guess, is good. There were times we were shooting better from the three-point line than we were from the free throw line. Michigan State in my era has always had some problems getting to the line. In four games we're getting to the line 30-some times a game, which is great, but we're just not shooting a very good percentage right now. That'll be critical, as I told them all summer, in big games. Some of the guys that missed them – Jordan (Scott), Jeremy (Fears Jr.) – those guys are 90 percent free-throw shooters. So that was hard.
I thought Jordan (Scott) missed some great shots and easy plays, and yet he has nine rebounds, 12 points, five assists.
The turnovers – Jeremy (Fears Jr.) – unexcused. He's too good a player. I'm saying that because I believe that. That's what I told him, 'Welcome to pressure.' With a ring comes a responsibility, and when you're ranked high, there's a responsibility to how you play. We've got to get a little more out of him and Coen (Carr).
I think we've got to figure out our rotation with our bigs. Jesse (McCullouch), we didn't want to play him too much. How many minutes did we play him? 12. He played pretty well, and Ethan (Taylor) played pretty well, so that was encouraging.
A lot of work to do, because I've seen a lot of Duke teams, seen some pretty good ones, and I'm not sure I've seen one as deep, big, or impressive as the one I watched this afternoon. I never watch the next team until the day of the game after I finish up my stuff, and they were impressive. They're a very impressive team. So, I worry about our team here at the start of the day and then move on to Duke. Got three or four days to try to change up a few things.
There were positives. We're still playing 11 or 12 guys, and that's probably not going to happen moving forward, so that's a little hard.
It was a shame with Cam (Ward): 8.5 minutes, five fouls. There were a lot of fouls in that game, I'll say that. I didn't think we guarded well enough to foul, so maybe I was wrong.
Â
On Jordan Scott's motor, deflections, and doing the dirty work…
I've got to go back a way long time ago to find a guy who plays harder consistently. We're almost starting to figure out that we've got to get him a little more rest, because he goes so hard he almost burns himself out.
Disappointing because he missed some great shots, missed the two free throws, had a few blow-byes, and gave up baseline a couple times – which we don't do here. But on the other side of it, totally impressed to just be able to say, 'Wow, that kid works so dang hard it's scary.' I am not worried about Jordan Scott. He's playing above where I thought he'd be, and so is Jasiah (Jervis).
I've just got to get a couple of guys playing to the level I think they can play at, and then we'll scramble with a few guys. Kaleb Glenn played a little better again. There are more than a few positives; it's just I don't want to lose our DNA. I don't want to lose who we are, and who we are is toughness. We defend, we rebound, and we run. We did run decent, we did rebound pretty good, but I didn't think we defended as good, I think they just missed shots.
Give Tod (Kowalczyk) credit: he's a very good coach, a very good offensive coach, and they run good stuff. They screen hard, they are physical. They weren't as big, but their wings are physical players, and he'll be competing for the MAC championship, I'll guarantee you. It was another decent test for us. I was hoping that we played a little better in the things that we need to do to compete in the games coming up in the next couple weeks.
On whether 67 combined free throws disrupted game rhythm…
I really hate when the media makes excuses for me, because I don't want to have those for the players. But you're probably right: it is hard to get into any kind of rhythm. It seemed like, maybe they were all fouls, I don't know. I thought some of them weren't, and they probably felt some of them weren't on them. But it is hard to get into a rhythm when you're doing that, and that doesn't work to our advantage. Duke, I think in their last game, was 22-of-24 from the line.
On Jasiah Jervis starting strong and his poise as a freshman…
He's done a very nice job. He took one forced shot, but he doesn't take many bad shots. Defensively, he was adequate, just needed to be a little better, but adequate. Offensively, he moves the ball, makes passes, and is starting to set people up.
I've been very pleased with Jasiah and Jordan (Scott) in a lot of ways. With Jeremy (Fears Jr.), I'm only critical because I need more out of him, and I think he has more to give. So, I'll challenge him, and he'll respond. He'll respond.
On Kaleb Glenn's progression and Kur Teng finding a shooting rhythm…
100%. 15 or 16 minutes now, if he can do that, get a couple of big rebounds, get a block ... he did some good things. He made most of his free throws, then missed a couple at the end, but Kaleb's starting to make some progress.
Kur missed some good shots that he had, but of all the people on the team, he's got to get into rhythm. Four shots probably isn't enough for him. But with all those free throws, we only got 57 field goal attempts up; we hope to get 65. We probably would have had 65 easily if we didn't have all those free throws.
On freshman guard Jasiah Jervis' performance early in the season…
I'm excited to see him against a team like Duke. You know, I'm excited because the games don't lie like the film doesn't lie. You know, and what they're going to find out is the little things you have to do right, you'll get exposed against teams that are really talented, and so our gap help has got to get better. Our cutouts got to get better. We can't leave points on the board by missing free throws.Â
But what a great opportunity right off the bat to play against a quality team for the 16th straight year in that tournament with those four teams. I think it's great for our university. It's great for our players, and it's great for the athletic department. And the basketball, you know, it's one of the most watched nights. And if we don't play better, it'll be a bad watch. If we do play better, we'll take a big step forward.
On how the freshmen will play a role as the season goes on…
I'm thinking that Jasiah (Jervis) is going to keep improving on his (game). I think C.J. (freshman guard Carlos Medlock Jr.)Â is, you know he struggles because size and things he could do in high school, like drive in there, but he's really a talented player and he's going to get better every game. So I'm pleased with him.
(Freshman center) Ethan (Taylor) has been a little bit of a surprise, but I think Ethan is learning that he needs to put in more time. He needs to, the game needs to mean a little bit more to him, and that's typical of a lot of freshmen, especially big guys, but we've had some great conversations with him in the last week or two, and he's responding a little bit. Which really, that's all you want. You want guys to respond. If you get them to respond, they'll get better. And he responded better tonight. I thought, did some good things, but we'll see when the sizes are even or even a little bigger. We'll see what happens.
On the exhibition losses…
The hard part is those first exhibition games. I mean, sure, I wanted to play better, but against UConn, I did play those 12 guys, and that's what I wanted to do. And it hurt us a little bit. I said I was because you have to look in the mirror, but exhibition games are exhibition. That's the only problem when they're public. You know, you look at them differently, and even I got caught doing that a little bit. But I got a lot out of those games. Okay, and now you just never know. I mean, I think both these teams are predicted to do very well in their leagues, but I don't know, and that's the one problem I have, and you guys really have, because if I don't know, you sure as hell don't know. No insult intended, but if it's taken, take it. But we don't know what all these teams have. You know, eight new transfers here, nine new transfers there. So it's kind of hard sometimes to figure out, 'Did you play good? Did you play bad? Did they miss shots, or was our defense better than I think?' I mean, some of this will come with watching. What I didn't like that I saw with the dome eyes here was blow byes, missed free throws, and maybe not the grit to be in gaps in that weak side stuff. Two of those things are very fixable.
On talking to sophomore forward Cam Ward after he fouled out…
Yeah, I asked him if he's a hatchet man or what he is. I don't know what I can do. I mean, he got caught a couple times, but what Cam's got to realize is he's capable of guarding quicker guys and bigger, bigger because of his, because he has some quickness. But he's going to have to adjust a little bit. That one call was bad, but for the most part, I thought he deserved every foul he got. And then it just got to be an epidemic. He's smart. He'll figure it out. We need Cam. We need Cam. He's a valuable part. So that was disappointing that we didn't get more. But maybe he's been hidden too. They won't see him.
On playing a full 12-man rotation and his roster's depth…
You say a deep roster, and you always have a deep roster when it starts. You always have 12 guys on scholarship. And I said, I still love the pieces to my team. I have not loved the performance in everyone yet, but I love the pieces, and they will determine their playing time more than I will.Â
I mean, some guys are playing themselves in, and some guys are playing themselves out, and that's the way it should be. I mean, you have to do the things you have to do if you're going to be in the rotation. But you can't have a rotation where you're playing somebody and they're not doing their job because against good teams, those could be eight-point swings right off the bat.Â
And so I still don't know exactly what a rotation will be, but I'm getting a clearer picture. I still like the fact that we got enough pieces that we can come at some people. Foul trouble or injuries are always going to be part of the game. So it's good.Â
In the good old days you play maybe one team in the first 12 that was, you know, otherwise you would play Northern Michigan. But you're going to find out that you know we got Northern Iowa, we got Drake, we got Oakland, we got some of our non-big games are really good teams, and so this team's not going to get much rest, and we're going to have to figure it out. So it'll be a long night tonight, but a good day tomorrow because we can work on us a little bit in the afternoon and then come back start working on Duke. So that's what we'll do.
On having several double-digit scorers on his team…
Tonight we had what 10 score, and one of them wasn't Cam Ward. So we almost, it could say 11 different people have scored. I mean, that's all a positive. We had a guy with nine and two guys with eight. So those are going to be big positives. I just need my best players to play their best and the role players to play their roles, and we'll get there. Jeremy (Fears) will be bouncing off the walls this semester going in, but I got to try to convince him that bouncing off the walls, this is his senior year. It wasn't like he was bad, I just expect more.
On having talent spread across different classes…
I like it. I do like it. I think we may look at some players that stayed in the program have gotten better. And remember, Kur (Teng) and Kaleb (Glenn), the injuries have set them back a little bit. You know, and so as those guys get better, which they will throughout the year, that's going to help us a lot. And Cam (Ward), you know, he missed three full weeks in September. So I do think that some of that is that, and that I think it's great that you have a couple in each class. That's how you, that's how you keep a program going if you ask me, at least the way I'd like to do it. But that was good. I never thought of it that way. But I'm glad you mentioned it.
On Jeremy Fears Jr. and Coen Carr uniting the locker room and demanding accountability…
Leading by example is good for some people, but I like what you said, meshing people together. Can they bring people together? That separates the elite leaders from just the great ones.
Sometimes it's hard to lead if you're not playing great yourself, and guys have got to get over that. Jeremy's voice is so important on the floor, he calls out everything. He'd be a hell of a linebacker for Coach Fitz (Pat Fitzgerald). He knows the game and he knows the players. He gets frustrated sometimes, and he's got to get over that. He's gotten better handling coaching than a year ago.
I just think he has more to give. From a skill standpoint, and he's got to be more demanding of his teammates. It's okay to get on a player, it's legal (jokingly), and he needs to do that. I have a lot of faith in him. He had a heck of a summer and a heck of a Fall. He's just been okay in these games, and I expect more than okay.
When there's pressure on you, when you get accolades and high rankings, it affects guys in different ways. I'm going to talk him through that; I've had enough experience with it.
Listen, we weren't great tonight. Take nothing away from Toledo, they played hard as heck. They didn't make shots. Some of it was our defense, some of it was not.
Duke might be the best team in the country right now. Jon (Scheyer) is a friend of mine, and they're ranked in the top two or three. At one point in exhibitions, they had Tennessee down 40, and they won at Kansas, not many people win there. On film, they look damn good to me. Dang good.
I'm excited. We get to play in an incredible event in Chicago at the Champions Classic and get a better idea of where we are, what we have to work on, and what we don't have to work on. We're making strides, and we'll make more strides.
Appreciate you guys.
Toledo Head Coach Tod Kowalczyk
Opening Statement…
First of all, just very, very thankful for the opportunity. I can't say enough good things about Coach Izzo and his staff, giving us an opportunity to come up and play this game, because these are games that, when you're in a really good mid-major program, they're really hard to get. I mean, people won't play us. And it takes a very secure head coach to play. Look at some of the good mid-majors that they're playing this year. I mean, they're playing some really... Look at other Big Ten teams. They're not playing the Oaklands and the Toledos of the world. I thought tonight, unlike last year, I thought we competed. I really do. Â I don't like how offensively we couldn't make a shot early on. I think the first five to ten minutes, I thought we got some good looks, didn't make them, and then we got a little bit, stopped moving, dribbled too much, get a little bit selfish, but give them credit. I mean, that's a really good defensive team. There's sixth in the country for a reason. And they have one of the best, if not the best players in the country. So, a lot to take away from this. We didn't play Austin Parks tonight, which really hurt us offensively, because he's a good player and has had a great off season. But tons of respect for Tom as his staff, and how good that team is.
Â
On building team chemistry in the portal era…
We were fortunate to retain six guys, three of which were starters last year. Michigan State retains virtually all their good players. That's not the case at us. I think we as a program, my staff, has done a good job of helping me embrace this new times. We had a really huge fundraiser a couple weeks ago, and Greg Kampe was our keynote speaker. He made a point of saying, you know, we lost two great players in the portal last year. You can argue, we have the best back court in all mid-major basketball coming back, if we can retain them. We weren't able to. I do think Sean Jones and Will James, and Jaylohn Allen are going to develop into be a really good backcourt, but it takes time, and what you find, too, is, you know, I think freshmen always take time, but portal guys take a lot of time. They do. I mean, we've had a lot of success in the portal over my career before there was a transfer portal. When guys had to sit out a year and there wasn't NIL, et cetera. Â And when they had to sit out of here, they could learn the system. But, you know, we've had, RayJ Dennis is an NBA guard, NBA point guard, and a good NBA player. He wasn't great his first year playing for me. It takes a little bit of time. So I have a big sign in my office now that says 'Demand with Patience'. As a head coach, I think I've done a better job of being patient, the older I get. And still being demanding, but with portal guys, it takes some time. But the era has changed, and I think if, at our level, you got to embrace it, and understand, I just hope we have a kid for two years, maybe three years, but the chances of them playing for us for that much longer, is probably not realistic.Â
On if Michigan State is a better rebounding team at the two through five than they were last year…
First of all, I think they're a better team than they were last year. In my opinion, they have more shooters on the floor. They're harder to defend. Their rebounding is always elite. I gotta be honest with you; we gave up 16 offense rebounds. You know, and that's something that I don't keep a whole lot of stats in my head during a game, but the one thing tonight that I know how many turnovers we have, and how many offensive rebounds they have, and about the five minute mark, they had, like, 11 or 12. That's a pretty respectable number for Toledo, to be honest with you. End up with 16, they got some late, but I thought we competed on the glass without Austin Parks, you know, where we have to get better, is our point guard has to rebound the ball better. And he's not very big, but he's got to get in there and get some rebounds for us. We'll work on that.
Â
On how the scouting report on Jordan Scott has changed…
It's freshman to sophomore years. I think, just my opinion, when you look at (Coen) Carr now playing more at the four, that really elevates their program and their team, now they're more skilled versus having him play the three. But Scott, obviously, his length and his shooting ability, but he's also that guy that can drive it and also rebound the ball too at both ends. But he's got the size. He's a good player. I mean, but I'm not surprised. In programs like Michigan State, guys get better, and especially the freshman, the sophomore year, so he's got a bright future."
Importance on relationships for mid-major coaches, outlook on scheduling opponents...
I think you look at Michigan State's schedule, I think we all can agree it is not as difficult of a schedule as he has played in the past. I think they play four high majors and then eight mid majors. Those mid majors are really good. I think he does it because of the relationships, he knows it means a lot to Quinnipiac, Oakland, Toledo, and Detroit Mercy. Those games mean a lot financially, national TV, and recruiting wise. We took this game kind of late, and Tom's done me a favor taking this game. You know, not a smart play on my part. I mean we played Monday night at Arkansas State, lost by one in an unbelievably competitive high-level game. Lost by one, very questionable calls late by the way. At Michigan State tonight and we don't often do this but we have an airplane right here in East Lansing, we play at two o'clock (on Saturday) against a really good Marshall team on the road. Three on the road, I mean when Tom Izzo says, "Hey, yeah, we'll play you again on Thursday, November 5". I can't say well what about another day. You take what you can get, it does not mean that it is ideal for us, but you know, that is why we kind of limit some of the minutes. Saturday's a huge game for us, huge, huge game.
Â
Thoughts on shooters especially (Jasiah) Jervis with how good the team is at rebounding...
Well, I think, both of their freshman guards, (Carlos) Medlock and (Jasiah) Jervis, they can really shoot. Let's be honest that is probably (Jeremy) Fears' if you want to say a weakness for him, that is probably the weakest part of his game. When you have a backup point guard like Medlock that can come in against Quinnipiac and get nine points in five minutes. Then Jervis, that is what he does, and then (Kur) Teng he can really shoot the ball, and give (Coen) Carr credit too. He went from a complete non shooter to a respectable guy that you have to go out and defend a little bit. I give those guys credit, they are in the gym working.
Â
Thoughts on (Jaylan) Ouwinga's performance without Austin Parks, and is Parks injury significant...
No it was just cramps, he's fine luckily, so he is good to go. It certainly affected him because Jaylan Ouwinga is not the most physical guy, he has gotten more physical. We played him out of position tonight, he is more of a skilled forward as a four man, than he is a five, and tonight he played the five. I thought it was really good for Rashaun Porter to get some minutes. Last year to be honest with you Austin Parks played really poorly here and so did Ouwinga. Ouwinga I thought competed tonight, I would like to see him get a few more offensive rebounds. He had 14 rebounds at Arkansas State. He only got two tonight.
Â
Michigan State Freshman Forward Jasiah Jervis
Â
On receiving the low five and pat on the cheek from Coach Izzo after a good defensive possession…
Definitely increasing my confidence. You know, he trusts me and believes in me, and feels like I have been earning everything so far. So, for him to do that it means a lot to me.
Â
On if he expected to start this early in his career…
I mean, I didn't know if I was going to start this early, but you know, coach thinks I earned it… I've been working hard in practice, so, you know, just to start as a freshman. Being the first freshman to start since Max Christie is a great feeling, truly a blessing.
Â
On the effect the length of him and Jordan Scott have on the wings of opponents…
Like I said before, you know, me and Jordan Scott on the wings, it's kind of unstoppable…We both got a long wingspan… So, you know, it's really like a one-two punch kind of thing.
Â
Redshirt Junior Guard Jeremy Fears Jr.
Â
On the development of Jordan Scott and Cam Ward…
Taking a jump, you know. Obviously putting a lot of work in, him (Jordan) and Cam. Just understanding college basketball, that it comes with growth… They're making steps in progress, It's huge.
Â
On the length of Jordan Scott and Jasiah Jervis on the perimeter…
It's huge. Especially with all of our wings, and all of our guys, just being able to stretch the floor, slash, pass. So just everybody is making plays out there. So that's really big for our team and our offense. And then defensively so we can switch, we can go small, go big, and that's just giving you a lot of different people and rotations.
Â
On the motor Jordan Scott plays with…
He uses wingspan, he uses athleticism, and his height to his advantage, you know. Getting offensive rebounds, steals, and deflections. So that's always huge, and that's a big piece in the game.
Â
Michigan State Sophomore Forward Jordan Scott
Â
On his overall performance…
Stats looked pretty good, I could've defended better, turnovers as well, still out there working and hustling.
Â
On what he got out of these first two games…
Definitely some positive takeaways to bring into next week's game, some negative things we need to clean up.
Â
On difference in mindset this year…
Being more comfortable on the court, one of the main screen options this year, my teammates are expecting for me to do that.
Â
Â
Â
Opening Statement…
Well, there were some good things. I was disappointed, and that takes nothing away from Toledo. Without [Sonny] Wilson, they weren't as good either, and I did feel they played hard and physical. I just don't think we're playing as hard or as physical. Too many dribble drives, too many guys going around guys. They missed shots, but the actions we didn't defend very well.
The free throw shooting … we work on it morning, noon and night. We shoot every night before the game, we shoot 90-some percent every time. I don't know what to say about that.
This is a different team than last year's team. On last year's team, Coop (Carson Cooper) was able to help our guards on those ball screens, and now our guards are better. Jeremy (Fears Jr.), Jasiah (Jervis), Jordan Scott, C.J. (Carlos Medlock Jr.) – those guys should be able to get into people and not need as much help, and that's why they get blown by. So that part was disheartening.
The free throw shooting was a shame. There were some great ball movements, 22 assists on 29 baskets, I guess, is good. There were times we were shooting better from the three-point line than we were from the free throw line. Michigan State in my era has always had some problems getting to the line. In four games we're getting to the line 30-some times a game, which is great, but we're just not shooting a very good percentage right now. That'll be critical, as I told them all summer, in big games. Some of the guys that missed them – Jordan (Scott), Jeremy (Fears Jr.) – those guys are 90 percent free-throw shooters. So that was hard.
I thought Jordan (Scott) missed some great shots and easy plays, and yet he has nine rebounds, 12 points, five assists.
The turnovers – Jeremy (Fears Jr.) – unexcused. He's too good a player. I'm saying that because I believe that. That's what I told him, 'Welcome to pressure.' With a ring comes a responsibility, and when you're ranked high, there's a responsibility to how you play. We've got to get a little more out of him and Coen (Carr).
I think we've got to figure out our rotation with our bigs. Jesse (McCullouch), we didn't want to play him too much. How many minutes did we play him? 12. He played pretty well, and Ethan (Taylor) played pretty well, so that was encouraging.
A lot of work to do, because I've seen a lot of Duke teams, seen some pretty good ones, and I'm not sure I've seen one as deep, big, or impressive as the one I watched this afternoon. I never watch the next team until the day of the game after I finish up my stuff, and they were impressive. They're a very impressive team. So, I worry about our team here at the start of the day and then move on to Duke. Got three or four days to try to change up a few things.
There were positives. We're still playing 11 or 12 guys, and that's probably not going to happen moving forward, so that's a little hard.
It was a shame with Cam (Ward): 8.5 minutes, five fouls. There were a lot of fouls in that game, I'll say that. I didn't think we guarded well enough to foul, so maybe I was wrong.
Â
On Jordan Scott's motor, deflections, and doing the dirty work…
I've got to go back a way long time ago to find a guy who plays harder consistently. We're almost starting to figure out that we've got to get him a little more rest, because he goes so hard he almost burns himself out.
Disappointing because he missed some great shots, missed the two free throws, had a few blow-byes, and gave up baseline a couple times – which we don't do here. But on the other side of it, totally impressed to just be able to say, 'Wow, that kid works so dang hard it's scary.' I am not worried about Jordan Scott. He's playing above where I thought he'd be, and so is Jasiah (Jervis).
I've just got to get a couple of guys playing to the level I think they can play at, and then we'll scramble with a few guys. Kaleb Glenn played a little better again. There are more than a few positives; it's just I don't want to lose our DNA. I don't want to lose who we are, and who we are is toughness. We defend, we rebound, and we run. We did run decent, we did rebound pretty good, but I didn't think we defended as good, I think they just missed shots.
Give Tod (Kowalczyk) credit: he's a very good coach, a very good offensive coach, and they run good stuff. They screen hard, they are physical. They weren't as big, but their wings are physical players, and he'll be competing for the MAC championship, I'll guarantee you. It was another decent test for us. I was hoping that we played a little better in the things that we need to do to compete in the games coming up in the next couple weeks.
On whether 67 combined free throws disrupted game rhythm…
I really hate when the media makes excuses for me, because I don't want to have those for the players. But you're probably right: it is hard to get into any kind of rhythm. It seemed like, maybe they were all fouls, I don't know. I thought some of them weren't, and they probably felt some of them weren't on them. But it is hard to get into a rhythm when you're doing that, and that doesn't work to our advantage. Duke, I think in their last game, was 22-of-24 from the line.
On Jasiah Jervis starting strong and his poise as a freshman…
He's done a very nice job. He took one forced shot, but he doesn't take many bad shots. Defensively, he was adequate, just needed to be a little better, but adequate. Offensively, he moves the ball, makes passes, and is starting to set people up.
I've been very pleased with Jasiah and Jordan (Scott) in a lot of ways. With Jeremy (Fears Jr.), I'm only critical because I need more out of him, and I think he has more to give. So, I'll challenge him, and he'll respond. He'll respond.
On Kaleb Glenn's progression and Kur Teng finding a shooting rhythm…
100%. 15 or 16 minutes now, if he can do that, get a couple of big rebounds, get a block ... he did some good things. He made most of his free throws, then missed a couple at the end, but Kaleb's starting to make some progress.
Kur missed some good shots that he had, but of all the people on the team, he's got to get into rhythm. Four shots probably isn't enough for him. But with all those free throws, we only got 57 field goal attempts up; we hope to get 65. We probably would have had 65 easily if we didn't have all those free throws.
On freshman guard Jasiah Jervis' performance early in the season…
I'm excited to see him against a team like Duke. You know, I'm excited because the games don't lie like the film doesn't lie. You know, and what they're going to find out is the little things you have to do right, you'll get exposed against teams that are really talented, and so our gap help has got to get better. Our cutouts got to get better. We can't leave points on the board by missing free throws.Â
But what a great opportunity right off the bat to play against a quality team for the 16th straight year in that tournament with those four teams. I think it's great for our university. It's great for our players, and it's great for the athletic department. And the basketball, you know, it's one of the most watched nights. And if we don't play better, it'll be a bad watch. If we do play better, we'll take a big step forward.
On how the freshmen will play a role as the season goes on…
I'm thinking that Jasiah (Jervis) is going to keep improving on his (game). I think C.J. (freshman guard Carlos Medlock Jr.)Â is, you know he struggles because size and things he could do in high school, like drive in there, but he's really a talented player and he's going to get better every game. So I'm pleased with him.
(Freshman center) Ethan (Taylor) has been a little bit of a surprise, but I think Ethan is learning that he needs to put in more time. He needs to, the game needs to mean a little bit more to him, and that's typical of a lot of freshmen, especially big guys, but we've had some great conversations with him in the last week or two, and he's responding a little bit. Which really, that's all you want. You want guys to respond. If you get them to respond, they'll get better. And he responded better tonight. I thought, did some good things, but we'll see when the sizes are even or even a little bigger. We'll see what happens.
On the exhibition losses…
The hard part is those first exhibition games. I mean, sure, I wanted to play better, but against UConn, I did play those 12 guys, and that's what I wanted to do. And it hurt us a little bit. I said I was because you have to look in the mirror, but exhibition games are exhibition. That's the only problem when they're public. You know, you look at them differently, and even I got caught doing that a little bit. But I got a lot out of those games. Okay, and now you just never know. I mean, I think both these teams are predicted to do very well in their leagues, but I don't know, and that's the one problem I have, and you guys really have, because if I don't know, you sure as hell don't know. No insult intended, but if it's taken, take it. But we don't know what all these teams have. You know, eight new transfers here, nine new transfers there. So it's kind of hard sometimes to figure out, 'Did you play good? Did you play bad? Did they miss shots, or was our defense better than I think?' I mean, some of this will come with watching. What I didn't like that I saw with the dome eyes here was blow byes, missed free throws, and maybe not the grit to be in gaps in that weak side stuff. Two of those things are very fixable.
On talking to sophomore forward Cam Ward after he fouled out…
Yeah, I asked him if he's a hatchet man or what he is. I don't know what I can do. I mean, he got caught a couple times, but what Cam's got to realize is he's capable of guarding quicker guys and bigger, bigger because of his, because he has some quickness. But he's going to have to adjust a little bit. That one call was bad, but for the most part, I thought he deserved every foul he got. And then it just got to be an epidemic. He's smart. He'll figure it out. We need Cam. We need Cam. He's a valuable part. So that was disappointing that we didn't get more. But maybe he's been hidden too. They won't see him.
On playing a full 12-man rotation and his roster's depth…
You say a deep roster, and you always have a deep roster when it starts. You always have 12 guys on scholarship. And I said, I still love the pieces to my team. I have not loved the performance in everyone yet, but I love the pieces, and they will determine their playing time more than I will.Â
I mean, some guys are playing themselves in, and some guys are playing themselves out, and that's the way it should be. I mean, you have to do the things you have to do if you're going to be in the rotation. But you can't have a rotation where you're playing somebody and they're not doing their job because against good teams, those could be eight-point swings right off the bat.Â
And so I still don't know exactly what a rotation will be, but I'm getting a clearer picture. I still like the fact that we got enough pieces that we can come at some people. Foul trouble or injuries are always going to be part of the game. So it's good.Â
In the good old days you play maybe one team in the first 12 that was, you know, otherwise you would play Northern Michigan. But you're going to find out that you know we got Northern Iowa, we got Drake, we got Oakland, we got some of our non-big games are really good teams, and so this team's not going to get much rest, and we're going to have to figure it out. So it'll be a long night tonight, but a good day tomorrow because we can work on us a little bit in the afternoon and then come back start working on Duke. So that's what we'll do.
On having several double-digit scorers on his team…
Tonight we had what 10 score, and one of them wasn't Cam Ward. So we almost, it could say 11 different people have scored. I mean, that's all a positive. We had a guy with nine and two guys with eight. So those are going to be big positives. I just need my best players to play their best and the role players to play their roles, and we'll get there. Jeremy (Fears) will be bouncing off the walls this semester going in, but I got to try to convince him that bouncing off the walls, this is his senior year. It wasn't like he was bad, I just expect more.
On having talent spread across different classes…
I like it. I do like it. I think we may look at some players that stayed in the program have gotten better. And remember, Kur (Teng) and Kaleb (Glenn), the injuries have set them back a little bit. You know, and so as those guys get better, which they will throughout the year, that's going to help us a lot. And Cam (Ward), you know, he missed three full weeks in September. So I do think that some of that is that, and that I think it's great that you have a couple in each class. That's how you, that's how you keep a program going if you ask me, at least the way I'd like to do it. But that was good. I never thought of it that way. But I'm glad you mentioned it.
On Jeremy Fears Jr. and Coen Carr uniting the locker room and demanding accountability…
Leading by example is good for some people, but I like what you said, meshing people together. Can they bring people together? That separates the elite leaders from just the great ones.
Sometimes it's hard to lead if you're not playing great yourself, and guys have got to get over that. Jeremy's voice is so important on the floor, he calls out everything. He'd be a hell of a linebacker for Coach Fitz (Pat Fitzgerald). He knows the game and he knows the players. He gets frustrated sometimes, and he's got to get over that. He's gotten better handling coaching than a year ago.
I just think he has more to give. From a skill standpoint, and he's got to be more demanding of his teammates. It's okay to get on a player, it's legal (jokingly), and he needs to do that. I have a lot of faith in him. He had a heck of a summer and a heck of a Fall. He's just been okay in these games, and I expect more than okay.
When there's pressure on you, when you get accolades and high rankings, it affects guys in different ways. I'm going to talk him through that; I've had enough experience with it.
Listen, we weren't great tonight. Take nothing away from Toledo, they played hard as heck. They didn't make shots. Some of it was our defense, some of it was not.
Duke might be the best team in the country right now. Jon (Scheyer) is a friend of mine, and they're ranked in the top two or three. At one point in exhibitions, they had Tennessee down 40, and they won at Kansas, not many people win there. On film, they look damn good to me. Dang good.
I'm excited. We get to play in an incredible event in Chicago at the Champions Classic and get a better idea of where we are, what we have to work on, and what we don't have to work on. We're making strides, and we'll make more strides.
Appreciate you guys.
Toledo Head Coach Tod Kowalczyk
Opening Statement…
First of all, just very, very thankful for the opportunity. I can't say enough good things about Coach Izzo and his staff, giving us an opportunity to come up and play this game, because these are games that, when you're in a really good mid-major program, they're really hard to get. I mean, people won't play us. And it takes a very secure head coach to play. Look at some of the good mid-majors that they're playing this year. I mean, they're playing some really... Look at other Big Ten teams. They're not playing the Oaklands and the Toledos of the world. I thought tonight, unlike last year, I thought we competed. I really do. Â I don't like how offensively we couldn't make a shot early on. I think the first five to ten minutes, I thought we got some good looks, didn't make them, and then we got a little bit, stopped moving, dribbled too much, get a little bit selfish, but give them credit. I mean, that's a really good defensive team. There's sixth in the country for a reason. And they have one of the best, if not the best players in the country. So, a lot to take away from this. We didn't play Austin Parks tonight, which really hurt us offensively, because he's a good player and has had a great off season. But tons of respect for Tom as his staff, and how good that team is.
Â
On building team chemistry in the portal era…
We were fortunate to retain six guys, three of which were starters last year. Michigan State retains virtually all their good players. That's not the case at us. I think we as a program, my staff, has done a good job of helping me embrace this new times. We had a really huge fundraiser a couple weeks ago, and Greg Kampe was our keynote speaker. He made a point of saying, you know, we lost two great players in the portal last year. You can argue, we have the best back court in all mid-major basketball coming back, if we can retain them. We weren't able to. I do think Sean Jones and Will James, and Jaylohn Allen are going to develop into be a really good backcourt, but it takes time, and what you find, too, is, you know, I think freshmen always take time, but portal guys take a lot of time. They do. I mean, we've had a lot of success in the portal over my career before there was a transfer portal. When guys had to sit out a year and there wasn't NIL, et cetera. Â And when they had to sit out of here, they could learn the system. But, you know, we've had, RayJ Dennis is an NBA guard, NBA point guard, and a good NBA player. He wasn't great his first year playing for me. It takes a little bit of time. So I have a big sign in my office now that says 'Demand with Patience'. As a head coach, I think I've done a better job of being patient, the older I get. And still being demanding, but with portal guys, it takes some time. But the era has changed, and I think if, at our level, you got to embrace it, and understand, I just hope we have a kid for two years, maybe three years, but the chances of them playing for us for that much longer, is probably not realistic.Â
On if Michigan State is a better rebounding team at the two through five than they were last year…
First of all, I think they're a better team than they were last year. In my opinion, they have more shooters on the floor. They're harder to defend. Their rebounding is always elite. I gotta be honest with you; we gave up 16 offense rebounds. You know, and that's something that I don't keep a whole lot of stats in my head during a game, but the one thing tonight that I know how many turnovers we have, and how many offensive rebounds they have, and about the five minute mark, they had, like, 11 or 12. That's a pretty respectable number for Toledo, to be honest with you. End up with 16, they got some late, but I thought we competed on the glass without Austin Parks, you know, where we have to get better, is our point guard has to rebound the ball better. And he's not very big, but he's got to get in there and get some rebounds for us. We'll work on that.
Â
On how the scouting report on Jordan Scott has changed…
It's freshman to sophomore years. I think, just my opinion, when you look at (Coen) Carr now playing more at the four, that really elevates their program and their team, now they're more skilled versus having him play the three. But Scott, obviously, his length and his shooting ability, but he's also that guy that can drive it and also rebound the ball too at both ends. But he's got the size. He's a good player. I mean, but I'm not surprised. In programs like Michigan State, guys get better, and especially the freshman, the sophomore year, so he's got a bright future."
Importance on relationships for mid-major coaches, outlook on scheduling opponents...
I think you look at Michigan State's schedule, I think we all can agree it is not as difficult of a schedule as he has played in the past. I think they play four high majors and then eight mid majors. Those mid majors are really good. I think he does it because of the relationships, he knows it means a lot to Quinnipiac, Oakland, Toledo, and Detroit Mercy. Those games mean a lot financially, national TV, and recruiting wise. We took this game kind of late, and Tom's done me a favor taking this game. You know, not a smart play on my part. I mean we played Monday night at Arkansas State, lost by one in an unbelievably competitive high-level game. Lost by one, very questionable calls late by the way. At Michigan State tonight and we don't often do this but we have an airplane right here in East Lansing, we play at two o'clock (on Saturday) against a really good Marshall team on the road. Three on the road, I mean when Tom Izzo says, "Hey, yeah, we'll play you again on Thursday, November 5". I can't say well what about another day. You take what you can get, it does not mean that it is ideal for us, but you know, that is why we kind of limit some of the minutes. Saturday's a huge game for us, huge, huge game.
Â
Thoughts on shooters especially (Jasiah) Jervis with how good the team is at rebounding...
Well, I think, both of their freshman guards, (Carlos) Medlock and (Jasiah) Jervis, they can really shoot. Let's be honest that is probably (Jeremy) Fears' if you want to say a weakness for him, that is probably the weakest part of his game. When you have a backup point guard like Medlock that can come in against Quinnipiac and get nine points in five minutes. Then Jervis, that is what he does, and then (Kur) Teng he can really shoot the ball, and give (Coen) Carr credit too. He went from a complete non shooter to a respectable guy that you have to go out and defend a little bit. I give those guys credit, they are in the gym working.
Â
Thoughts on (Jaylan) Ouwinga's performance without Austin Parks, and is Parks injury significant...
No it was just cramps, he's fine luckily, so he is good to go. It certainly affected him because Jaylan Ouwinga is not the most physical guy, he has gotten more physical. We played him out of position tonight, he is more of a skilled forward as a four man, than he is a five, and tonight he played the five. I thought it was really good for Rashaun Porter to get some minutes. Last year to be honest with you Austin Parks played really poorly here and so did Ouwinga. Ouwinga I thought competed tonight, I would like to see him get a few more offensive rebounds. He had 14 rebounds at Arkansas State. He only got two tonight.
Â
Michigan State Freshman Forward Jasiah Jervis
Â
On receiving the low five and pat on the cheek from Coach Izzo after a good defensive possession…
Definitely increasing my confidence. You know, he trusts me and believes in me, and feels like I have been earning everything so far. So, for him to do that it means a lot to me.
Â
On if he expected to start this early in his career…
I mean, I didn't know if I was going to start this early, but you know, coach thinks I earned it… I've been working hard in practice, so, you know, just to start as a freshman. Being the first freshman to start since Max Christie is a great feeling, truly a blessing.
Â
On the effect the length of him and Jordan Scott have on the wings of opponents…
Like I said before, you know, me and Jordan Scott on the wings, it's kind of unstoppable…We both got a long wingspan… So, you know, it's really like a one-two punch kind of thing.
Â
Redshirt Junior Guard Jeremy Fears Jr.
Â
On the development of Jordan Scott and Cam Ward…
Taking a jump, you know. Obviously putting a lot of work in, him (Jordan) and Cam. Just understanding college basketball, that it comes with growth… They're making steps in progress, It's huge.
Â
On the length of Jordan Scott and Jasiah Jervis on the perimeter…
It's huge. Especially with all of our wings, and all of our guys, just being able to stretch the floor, slash, pass. So just everybody is making plays out there. So that's really big for our team and our offense. And then defensively so we can switch, we can go small, go big, and that's just giving you a lot of different people and rotations.
Â
On the motor Jordan Scott plays with…
He uses wingspan, he uses athleticism, and his height to his advantage, you know. Getting offensive rebounds, steals, and deflections. So that's always huge, and that's a big piece in the game.
Â
Michigan State Sophomore Forward Jordan Scott
Â
On his overall performance…
Stats looked pretty good, I could've defended better, turnovers as well, still out there working and hustling.
Â
On what he got out of these first two games…
Definitely some positive takeaways to bring into next week's game, some negative things we need to clean up.
Â
On difference in mindset this year…
Being more comfortable on the court, one of the main screen options this year, my teammates are expecting for me to do that.
Â
Â
Â
Players Mentioned
F
/ Men's Basketball
C
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's BasketballTeam Stats
UT
MSU
FG%
.333
.509
3FG%
.238
.417
FT%
.621
.605
RB
27
52
TO
12
14
STL
8
8
Game Leaders
Pts
16
FGM
5
3FGM
4
FTM
2
Pts
12
FGM
3
3FGM
0
FTM
6
Pts
12
FGM
5
3FGM
2
FTM
0
Pts
10
FGM
3
3FGM
1
FTM
3
Monday, November 09
Thursday, November 05
Monday, November 02
Friday, October 30