Tom Izzo Game Quotations

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 it was the biggest disappointment of all the NCAA games we played in. We didn't have the season we wanted to have. We didn't perform to what I think our capabilities were. I think this is one of the few times in my career here as a head coach that we didn't get done what I think we were capable of getting done, culminating with the lack of a very good performance on that last night.

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.

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

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.

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.

Those two statistics are ridiculous. But as down as I am and as our fans are, this season wasn't a total disaster. We won 22 games and had some good wins playing maybe the toughest schedule in the country.

This team has been a good free throw-shooting team for years. It wins games for you, it really does.

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.

We played pretty well in both Illinois games and he just made some plays. Tonight, we found a way to clamp down a little bit more. Defensively, we didn't really give him a single look.

I see this being a good enough basketball team to win a lot of games yet.

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

We didn't get beat by some chopped-liver team. I mean, don't kid yourself: They're going to win a lot of games -- a lot of games.

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 reminds you of the NBA draft. If you play well at the end of the year one time, the other 30 games don't matter. There are times we could be a five, six, seven or an eight team. It just depends.

We've got a good enough team to win the next six games and we've got a good enough team to lose the next six games and I think a lot of teams are in that boat in this league.

If you look at our home and road stats, they're enormously different. Most teams are different, but not enormously different. You get in a little slump, and you don't get the confidence of the home crowd and the home baskets and the home bed. Yeah, I think it affects you a little bit. I really, really do. But I also think you got to be big enough to win some of these games on the road.

They've had moments when they've been real good and not as good, and so have we. They still have some vulnerability just like everybody in this league does. It was just two games ago that Iowa lost to Northwestern.

It's a big loss for us in games coming up. It's disappointing because he was playing better. We're not the most physical team, and he brings a little physicality to us. He's a versatile guy who can guard on the perimeter and guard big guys inside.

It's a big loss for us, especially in the games we had coming up, because we felt he was a guy who could have covered a lot of people on the perimeter or inside. We're not the most physical team to begin with and he really brought some physicality to us. But maybe more importantly, I think he's a versatile guy who can guard guards on the perimeter, and he can guard big guys inside. We just don't have many guys who are able to do that.

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.

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.

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.

It's probably two games too many, but at the same time, it's an incredible opportunity, ... And I'm not trying to break anyone's wins record, so what's the difference?

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

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

We have a long way to go but we are still in the race. I'm not giving up on the Big Ten, but we just aren't in control so we just have to let it play out and focus on getting better every day until the Big Ten tournament and the NCAA tournament. We have lots of big games we need to focus on, but it feels good to be home.

I told them in the huddle that we played Gonzaga and Arizona we played all those overtime games and we've earned the right to win the game. They looked back at me and said, 'Damn right we did.

You can't win four games because of luck.

I've been a little soft in practice lately, because I've been paranoid about this three games in six days.

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

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

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 think it's really important, for two reasons. No. 1, for the games themselves, and No. 2, so that we don't get a false sense of where we are.

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

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.

You know me, I don't feel like we're ready, but I do think we can get ready in four days. Illinois is playing awfully well, they haven't lost many games in the last couple years, but we're gonna be ready on Thursday, I can promise you that.