Tom Izzo Quotations

If we don't get better in the Big Ten tournament it's going to be hard to get better in the NCAA Tournament.

I guess it could happen to us, but I look at it the other way. If we can go deep into this tournament, I think mentally it will be a big feather in our cap and then we can ride that a little bit.

On ESPN in late February, that's all they talk about.

No doubt our guards struggled. We made some big plays, and then we made some not-so-smart plays. It was a shame, because Paul Davis had two of the best practices of his life, and he just struggled tonight to even catch the ball.

Now you start playing for the excitement of it. I'm not worried about it. I'm anxious to get home and start looking at some film and just see how bad I can look in the morning.

Now that we've got our lineup straightened out the last month, our rotation may be similar to some of our real good teams, ... We're not as good defensively, we're not as good a rebounding team, but we're a much better shooting team. It's different, but it's got some similarities in areas that are key to winning championships.

I have encouraged him to (speak out). My opinion is he has some facts to get straightened out. I don't know if he will or not.

I'd like to sell the place out. We've had 13,000 (fans), but when you say it was packed that's a whole different deal. So I challenge people to do that.

I don't feel great about it because destiny's not in our total hands. But I feel good that we're going to be difference-makers.

I did not like the way it was called. Every time we touched a guy there was a foul.

I didn't like that we shot that many there early. You never want to shoot that many threes.

If this place isn't Duke and North Carolina with the number of good players in the state, it's the coaches' fault.

I don't know what I can do about it. I feel bad that I'm putting those guys in that position, but that's just the way it is right now and it's what we've got to do.

If we hadn't done it before and played well for an extended period of time, I'd be panicking more than I am. I know in the areas that we've struggled, we're better than that.

If we can execute defensively as well as we do offensively, we have a chance to be a really good team.

There are times when I knew people hated to come in here. And once your streak is broken there's a difference. You're invincible, but once you lose there's a little chink in the armor.

Maurice has struggled lately. And (yet) I don't think there's anybody I've ever coached who wants to win more than he does.

Mo was extremely hot early, and we felt that, with the lead, we couldn't take the chance of getting him in foul trouble.

Shannon Brown does have a knack for rising to the occasion in big games. He kind of thrives on the pressure. When I told him he had to take over a little bit, he did it in such a controlled way - even with that dunk he had, one of the best I've ever seen here.

Shannon Brown has probably been as steady as anybody on both ends of the court. He hasn't had the big ups and downs that some people have had. And he's the most vocal.

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.

Whenever you lose a few games, especially when you have a pretty good team, you're concerned about how fast things can slide.

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.

Let's not anoint us as a finished product yet. But I like the steps we're taking.

This was one of the worst defensive teams I've had. I tried to adjust to people. People are gonna start adjusting to me. ... I don't think anyone wants to be perceived as a jerk. Sometimes a coach wants to be liked. I don't care if I'm liked anymore. We will be tougher.

He'll be out three to six weeks. It's a big loss for us. We're not the most physical team, and he brings a little physicality. And maybe more importantly, he's a guy who can cover people on the perimeter or inside. We don't have many players who are quick enough to do that, like Alan Anderson did.

If I was him, I'd never do anything in the state of Michigan again.

I can't say I was extremely ecstatic about our play, and Purdue deserves some of the credit for that. Yet in clutch times, these guys came through.

I did not feel that we were in sync. I think you have to give Illinois some credit for that but I also think you have to give us some blame.

I can't make any excuses up. As a coaching staff, we have not done a good enough job of adjusting to the things we need to adjust to, whether it be the schedule, whether it be an injury, whether it be end-of-the game situations with guys tired or not tired. We've got to find a way to do a better job, because we're a good enough team to get it done.

I can't say that I was extremely ecstatic about our play.

I feel real comfortable that who we are playing and who we could play does not throw up any red flags. I'm looking at it like I'm definitely packing for two days the first weekend, and then I'm not going on spring break the second weekend. There's no plans in the foreseeable future, so I'm planning on playing some basketball.

I feel for that kid. He's only been in six or seven practices in the last two months so we can't even do what we want to do with him yet.

I can guarantee you... he's been through so much,

I don't think it's a concussion, but I do think it was a pretty good blow and he lost some blood.

Give Paul credit because he went back in and played with those fouls.

If anybody that ever played here hears that statistic, they're going to have trouble coming back and seeing us.

I don't think he's looking at that as maybe an option now. But if he does well, we make a run, his stock continues to rise, which I think it has all year, and he's a certain pick, I'm going to be telling him to go.

I don't think I can be harder on Drew than Drew is on Drew.

If it's just strictly the bone healing, then we're probably talking more weeks. But if it's the bone healing and the guy being able to take a little pain, and not hurt it ... he can take some pain. And that's what I'm basing it on; I think he can take some pain.

But do I expect 18 and 10, 18 and 11? You're damn right I do. Paul's a big key to this stretch run.

I don't know why we haven't been consistent. I've said a few times that maybe we're not as tough, mentally or physically, as we have been in recent years.

I felt bad for him missing those free throws because he's been shooting so well from the line. And yet, it goes to show that you can't take a lot of time off and feel like you're still the same player.

I felt good only because it gives you a chance. It's definitely still not in our own hands but it does give you a chance.

Guy gets a cramp ? that's no big deal. Is that something that's a day-to-day thing? No. There's one thing you should never question on Shannon Brown and that's his heart.

What we haven't been is a very consistent team in all those areas. At least we don't have to reinvent the wheel. Somewhere throughout the season, we've done those things. Now it's a matter of putting them together.

He kind of thrives on pressure, he kind of thrives on big moments. He took control of the game, under control. And that speaks volumes of a player when he can take control of game and do it under control. I think that means the guy's really growing up and becoming a special player.

He was good. That's what he can do: He can shoot it. And I think it was good for him to get a little a confidence, some shots up and a little playing time.

He was probably rated higher than some guys we signed in basketball.

We looked like a team that came off a four-day break and weren't very sharp or efficient offensively. Hopefully, we'll get better in the next few days because we're not good enough right now.

I am extremely excited and appreciative of the opportunity to participate in a goodwill event like Operation Hardwood. With all that our troops are doing for us, I view this as a small way to give something back to them. The only thing I hope to get out of this experience is to see some joy in the soldiers' eyes.

I am happy to see him bounce back. This game (basketball) means so much to him. I don't know many players, seriously, that this game means more to than Maurice Ager.

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.

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.

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.

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.

He's got the skills to handle the ball, but he needs to get stronger to play at the college level, and he'll do that.

He's got to be going 100 miles an hour all the time.

He shouldn't be called a great guard or a great shooter. He should just be called a winner.

He's definitely the most tenacious defender we've ever had here. He needs to continue to improve his shooting, but he's tougher than nails.

He's just so athletic and can make the key play.

He might be only the second kid (after Jason Richardson) I would advise to do that, just because, that way, there'd be no questions unanswered.

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.

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.

He never made any excuses, ... He said he thought it would be a four-, five-year building process. He's a big-enough man, probably bigger than me, that he doesn't do his laundry outside of his office, even to his best friend.

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.

He had a big night. We didn't want him to beat us.

We took more threes in this game than in the last two combined.

Marquise did some better things and that was an encouraging sign.

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.

I said 'Oh, it's gonna be a charge,' and then he jumped, I think, over him. I would normally joke and take credit for that, but that was so good I can't even joke and take credit. That will rank right up with the best I've seen.

I said that there could be eight teams vie for the championship. I think scheduling (the Big Ten doesn't play a round robin, so some teams play others just once) is gonna play a part in everything. I still think our conference could fight to be the strongest in the country. When you look top to bottom at the conference race this year, four losses could win it, maybe more.

Paul, Mo, Shannon were just not the same players tonight. For 12 of 13 games, I thought that our three star players were as consistent as any group I've coached over the years, and tonight for whatever reason, we weren't as consistent.

I think a lot of people like the Chicago thing because it's maybe more of a destination. But Indianapolis did an incredible job of making us feel like we were the main attraction in town.

I think Davis did the 'Lambeau Leap,' even.

Maybe I'm hoping. I have no medical evidence. The two things I like is: I know we won't do anything to jeopardize him, and I know he wants to come back. Some guys would shy away from that for a while, and for him it's a no-brainer.

Maybe I should resign or retire and then maybe we can get our record back where it belongs.

Maybe that's why I'm walking gingerly, I'm not as excited where our team's at yet. Because there's a train wreck coming.

I'm sitting here crying about the officiating, that's not what totally cost us the game.

I think I've got kind of a worn-out team. We were just flat-out beat. I just don't think we had anything left in us. That Thursday-Saturday noon thing was a joke in my mind and I think most coaches would agree with me. I turned down going to the NBA. I didn't think I'd have back-to-backs (here).

I still think his pro career is in football. But he's one of those gifted athletes. Who knows what he can do?

I still think they have a great shot to make a long run in the tournament.

I still think this team is good enough to win some big games. This is a talented basketball team with good guys that has had a horrendous schedule and it's taken its toll.

I still think we have a lot to play for, so it better not be hard (to get up).

I still think we've got a lot to play for. The problem is the games aren't going to get any easier.

I think for the most part, winning is always more of an advantage. If you play (in the NCAA Tournament) on Thursday or Friday, and you don't have to travel through too many time zones, I don't think there's any plus in us losing. I didn't feel any better about it (last year). I can guarantee you that.

I thought Iowa played very solid. In the second half, they played much better defensively.

I thought Maurice Ager might have had his best all-around game. He was unbelievable in the huddles, he was trying to get other guys shots, he made some passes, he made some shots, and his defense was the best it's been.

I think that will be one of the keys to the season, will we survive if we lose two games, three games, maybe even five? ... The problem nowadays with the Internet and talk radio -- all of a sudden everyone's getting down on you, and your confidence can go down.

I think that was a great sign. Maurice looked like he wanted the ball. He took pretty good shots; he was confident. He exploded with the ball on one drive, it was unbelievable. ... Maurice Ager played like the All-American player he is.

I think the first five shots we took were 3s, but our inside guys weren't doing the things (we needed). In the second half, we simplified it, (we asked) the guys in the post to be passers and pickers, and that probably helped us some.

I think there was a little self-doubt. But I thought we made a commitment that we're going to try to play and leave it on the floor.

It is a win-win-win. I guess on paper, if he goes, it looks like it's a lose for me. It's a lose if you look at the small picture, but a real win if you look at the big picture. The potential of maybe having three first-round picks is pretty impressive.

Our biggest problem was there was no spacing between those tough games. We kept losing and having to play another great team right away. I still think good schedules make you better in the long run. I don't mind losing because that's how you figure out what's wrong, but you have to do it within reason.

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.

I think he's starting to get it. He's starting to see and understand, ?I didn't go hard enough here, I got to be stronger with the ball there.' I think he's seeing it. Before, I think he was hearing it and not seeing it. Now, I think he's hearing it and seeing it.

I think Ohio State deserves a lot of credit. The last four minutes of the game, they played extremely well. I didn't think I'd have to go with a four-guard lineup as much as we did.

I was very disappointed in our execution and some of our guard play. Maybe we were a little fatigued. We were short on a lot of shots.

I was thinking about that as every game went by. I feel better in one way, but I feel worse that it kind of makes you madder (because of) where you could have gone. Maybe we're not quite the dogs we think we are up here.

I think I got kind of a worn-out team right now. I can come up with a lot of different reasons, excuses, but we were just flat-out beat. And I did not think we played with the energy we needed to play. We still hung in there, and then we had the knockout punch of that three-minute span, and Illinois deserves a lot of credit for that.