Tom Izzo Game Quotations

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.

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.

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.

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

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 the hardest game (of the stretch) is the one (today). Coming off a rivalry game or a big game, the next game is always tough. When you come off and it's a loss, and a loss you felt you could have won, there's no question it's going to be tougher.

We have to learn how to play with the lead, and the Iowa game was a case in point where we didn't play with the lead. (The players) came into our huddle, we were up 15-4, and they really believed (Iowa) was tired. It was good: 'Let's get 'em now coach, let's do this, let's do that.' But I think they took that to another level and they started taking shots too early.

Well, I'm happiest for Maurice (Ager). To his credit he had some tough games. He came up and talked to me after the Iowa game and said he was working hard and getting his rest, and he really needed to have a good game. I thought he was excellent.

We played George Mason last year; they played us to a very tough game out there.

That was our best basketball game in maybe a couple years. This was close to a perfect game.

That was a difficult game to coach and difficult game to play in.

Even the officials looked at me before the game and said this is special. It was a big win.

I'm going to evaluate this weekend because if we lost that game (against Arizona), we'd be 1-3 and the roof would be falling in back home. But I thought we gained so much here. I learned that they have much bigger toughness than I have. They're all still standing, and I think that tells a little bit about their character.

I look at the stats and kind of see a different game than I watched. I didn't really like the game I watched, to be honest with you. But the stats say we did some things well. And I was very proud of Maurice Ager and Paul Davis at halftime. They vowed we'd be better defensively in the second half, and we were.

It was pretty good after the game ? swelled up a hair. We didn't practice yesterday just for that reason.

It was a game that slipped away. Give credit to them, they deserved to win.

It was a game that slipped away. Give credit to them, they deserved to win it. It was just too bad, because I think we played well enough in a lot of ways to win the game.

It's kind of apropos for the year. It was a rough start and it will be a rough ending. At the same time, if you can win a game and you've got Senior Day, I don't see it being a major factor.

This was a big game for Iowa, a big game for Michigan State. They played better than we did.

I don't think the score here was maybe indicative of how the game went. I think we all realize we're all pretty even. It just depends on who comes to play.