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
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.
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The opportunity I've had here ... the chance to meet every one of you ... the chance to wear this uniform ... I thank you for letting us be (a) small part of it, ... We will never give you as much as you've given us, but we will promise you to spread the word and tell what you are all about when we get back home.
couple four games gonna illinois last lost playing promise ready
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.
biggest figure good great kept losing mind problem schedules team tough within
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.
couple slip won
I thought we had it won a couple of times and let it slip away.
checked loose
I thought they were physical. I thought they checked us. I thought they got to loose balls.
time touched
I think we were too aggressive. Every time we touched a guy, there was a foul.
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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.
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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.
incredible
I think it was one of the most incredible performances I've seen.
drew expect far fatigue hard
I think it was more fatigue as far as Drew is concerned. It's hard to expect more (from him).
false games
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.
gave glad greatest including seemed troops
It had to go through a lot of channels, including the Pentagon, and there were times it seemed like it wasn't going to happen. But I'm glad it did because it was one of the greatest experiences of my life. The troops thanked us for being there, but they gave us more than we gave them.
focused incredible meeting national potential troops year
It has been an incredible year for me, ... When I got back, I had a meeting and told my team, 'If you can be as disciplined and focused as our troops over there, we could be a potential national champion.'