Tom Izzo Guys Quotations

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.

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.

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 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 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.

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

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 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 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.

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.

We have not had three guys as prolific as those three. They've been pretty special, and they're good guys that are going to graduate, making them the total package.

We just weren't in sync half the night, with guys out in foul trouble. It got to the point they were afraid to drive, afraid to do anything.

When you play that many (ranked teams) in a row, it becomes a mental strain as far as keeping your guys up. I think it helps that it's the Michigan game. I think our guys will be up for that. If there was going to be a time when they mentally let down a little bit, I don't see it being this week. Emotionally, it's Michigan-Michigan State and that carries more than anybody we play, let's be honest.

To do it in front of his family, that was exciting. I thought he made a couple of big plays at clutch times. ... We have pretty good players, and I think it means we've got guys who've stuck around. Those two things are good.

Those two guys are going to have to learn under fire.

You hope your walk-ons bring some camaraderie, a high work ethic and a low maintenance problem, and I think those guys have done that.

They get along so well together, ... It's kind of fun to see different guys from different areas and different colors, and there's a bond there.

They're all guys who made significant improvements, and that means they're getting well-coached. I take my hat off to Matt. He was put in a tough situation, losing all those guys early, and that team has continued to improve, and that says it all.

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.

It was just too bad because I think we played well enough in a lot of ways to win the game, but we just couldn't get in sync half the night with guys out with foul trouble.

Their guys have made significant improvement. That's a sign that they are being well coached.

I'm really proud of the effort these guys gave coming off last night. We weren't the prettiest. Illinois pressured us and it bothered us some.

I'm really excited. A lot of our older players were here. I felt like the old guys were back and we played our old style.

I loved the fact that they showed the grit. We went to different guys at different times. Whether it be Paul and Mo with the free throws or Shannon with the big shot and the step-back, I think each one of them did some different things. They can play better, but please don't underestimate what they've gone through in the last five days.

I'm trying to understand why we haven't been as consistent as we need to be. I'm only disappointed when guys don't play to their potential, and we haven't had enough guys do that together.

I didn't think I'd have to go to that four-guard lineup as much as we did. We just couldn't cover with our big guys some things. We decided to go with it, but we just needed a little more play.

He's an incredibly gifted student and still has sacrificed his time away with little in reward. And you always have special feelings for guys like that.

I feel all of the responsibility for that. I did not get as much out of these guys as they had to give.

He played like a warrior. ... Making those free throws and all, he played his tail off. And there's just a comfort level with the guys and ... ah, it was big.