Tom Izzo
Tom Izzo
Thomas Michael Izzois an American college basketball coach. Since 1995, he has been the head coach for the Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team, presiding over a prolonged period of success. On April 4, 2016, Izzo was elected to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame...
ProfessionCoach
Date of Birth30 January 1955
CityIron Mountain, MI
based carry conference hurts image looked marquee strength teams three top total
I always think it hurts it some, and I don't think it's fair. If your top two or three teams don't carry that flag, I think the conference is looked down upon. I think the image of the conference is based more on the marquee teams; the strength of the conference is based more on the total teams. You would think they should go together, but I don't think they do.
create deal guys handling hopefully inside issues kids next outside preach pressure time year
I always preach to my kids that outside issues create inside problems. Pressure that you get at this time of year - you're a senior, you've got to play well to hopefully play at the next level. You just have to deal with it. I look at those guys right now, and they're not handling it as well as they did earlier.
growing man player student vocal
He's changed. He is very much a vocal guy, very much the leader. You can look him in the eye. Growing as a player and a student is one thing ? growing as a man is another.
changing control credit deserves forcing four guy hardly incredible product reasons senior shot staying team ton
He is a product of staying four years. He is having an incredible senior year. He's under control more. He deserves a ton of credit for changing his game. I hardly see him forcing his shot anymore. I think he's more of a team guy this year. I think that's one of the reasons they're better.
aggressive blur court gotta improved instead passing quick seeing sees
He has to be aggressive and be slow, if that makes any sense. He's gotta do that. Because when he does, he sees the court so much better. He has improved his passing so much this year. He's seeing things a little better, instead of it being a blur - because he's so quick that it is a blur sometimes.
ability bringing concerned crowd good job might raise throw
He has that ability to raise a crowd off its feet. He's done a good job for them bringing that alone. ... You always have to be a little more concerned about a lob they might throw into the rafters that he can go get. That makes it more difficult.
beat
He had a big night. We didn't want him to beat us.
four situation speak stick volumes
He doesn't get to play the minutes, he doesn't sometimes even play that much in practice, and to stick that out four years in that situation I think speak volumes of the guy.
character program promise room tougher toughness weight work
We're going to get back in the weight room to work on toughness and character. I promise we'll be tougher and I promise we'll get this program back to where we all want it.
bring melt people
We bring people from different areas, and they melt into one.
george hone michigan percent prepared second state time win
We're going to hone in 95 percent of our time on George Mason. If you don't win the first one, you don't get to the second one. But if you get to the second one and you're not prepared and you don't get out of the weekend, I don't feel like that's where Michigan State is right now.
anybody apples athlete certain creates fill guard guys inside player problems reason replace type versatile
The only reason I'd say no to that is because it's the type of player he is. We have other guys that can fill in in certain spots, but it's the athlete, it's the versatile 6-6, 6-7 athlete that can guard inside guys and guards, and that's where it creates some problems for us. It's not really replacing apples to apples. Anybody else that we replace him with is a completely different kind of athlete.
defense good played shot
We still played good defense and pretty good offense. We shot 50%, 40-something from three.
body guard head matter point powerful system
Usually, if the head isn't working, the body dies. It doesn't matter how powerful the body is. And a point guard in our system is the head.