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
job players reason
There's no reason we can't get the job done. We've got enough players to get it done.
awareness improved players seen shooting
I think he's really improved his three-point shooting and just his awareness of the game. I'd say he is one of the more improved players I've seen in this league.
carolina duke good north number players
If this place isn't Duke and North Carolina with the number of good players in the state, it's the coaches' fault.
came coaches feeling good great halftime knowing players relationship second shots today unselfish
Shannon (Brown) was very unselfish today and Maurice (Ager) came to me at halftime and said, 'I made some good shots in the first half and in the second half I'm going to go out there and put them down.' That to me is a great feeling knowing that the relationship between the coaches and the players is that confident.
fact finished fun players product steps
Let's not anoint us a finished product because we're not. But I like the steps we're taking. I like the fact that players are having some fun doing it.
chances confident current experience fatigue foul last players team trouble water whether work
Do I feel as confident as last year? Last year, I really was confident. I'd say it like this. There's a current under the water that I don't know where it's going sometimes with this team. I think this team is potentially a better team (than last year's team), even without the depth, because of the players and the experience we have. Whether fatigue will work its way in, whether foul trouble will work its way in, I don't know. But I like the chances for us to play for a while.
athletes board coached drawing good harder next players
It's back to the drawing board on defense. We have good enough athletes and good enough players to get it done. But they're going to be coached harder in the next three-and-a-half days.
awards detroit four honor nice players share speaks talent three willing
It's a nice honor to have three players recognized. I think it speaks not only to the talent of those players but also their unselfishness to be willing to share awards with their teammates, much like the Detroit Pistons had four all-stars, but no one who started in the all-star game.
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.
coach great players win
When the players want to win more than the coach, that's a great sign, and I see that.
four good players supposed
That's what you're supposed to do with good players that have been around for four years.
came consistent games looked players star team
I thought for 12 out of our 13 games our star players were as consistent as any guys. Tonight, for some reason, we just weren't as consistent. We looked like a team that came off a four-day break.
football players tougher
I thought football players were tougher than that.
beat brains players respect
I respect their program, I respect their coach, I respect their players and recruited some of them, and yet I want to beat their brains in. That's just the way it works.