What Tom Izzo Said After Michigan State's 65-64 Loss to Indiana

Michigan State coach Tom Izzo wasn't too happy with his team's performance following a 65-64 loss to Indiana on Sunday. Here's what the Spartans coach had to say following the regular season finale.

Dustin Schutte | Mar 10, 2024

What Tom Izzo Said After Michigan State's 65-64 Loss to Indiana /

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Michigan State entered Assembly Hall on Sunday hoping to add a road win to its NCAA Tournament resume. Instead, the Spartans had no answer for Indiana star center Kel'el Ware, falling 65-64 in the regular season finale.

With the loss, the Spartans dropped to 18-13 on the season and 10-10 in Big Ten. Michigan State coach Tom Izzo was frustrated with the outcome and talked, at length, about the disappointment.

Here's what Izzo said following Sunday's game.

Tom Izzo's opening statement ...

Izzo: "I thought we took bad shots, took too many threes, we didn't get back in transition. We did the things we weren't supposed to do. A couple of my guards didn't play very well. Then about the five-minute mark after a lot of threats — so you writers can figure out what a threat is — we got guys to start looking at the basket, taking shots.

I'm sick of getting blamed for things that — you wanna talk about getting on somebody? (Assembly Hall) is the greatest place in the world for people who got on people. The guy (Bob Knight) won five championships.

"So, I'm upset. Upset because we had a seven-point lead. Upset because we didn't guard. But I'm also proud because, in that environment, the way we came back, the way we executed, the way we shot. Tyson started making some shots and ... and then I thought I did a poor job. So paranoid when they start making threes from guys who don't, it's hard to double down.

"Give Ware (and Reneau) credit, both those guys ate us alive. ... It's been that kind of year. So I'm glad the regular season is over. Maybe any kind of tournament time will change that. ... A very poor job of following the game plan. We did not get back in transition and that's what hurt us early."

On the way Michigan State rebounded ...

Izzo: "Yeah we rebounded better. When Jaden (Akins) plays, he's a very good player. He went out and got some rebounds and tipped some, it was unbelievable. And then there was times — we're just not good enough to not have one of our wings do that. Unfortunately, Malik, they did a good job doubling him and we just didn't make enough shots to reverse it around. We had them. We had good shots. I don't have any problem with the shots, we just didn't make the shots we needed to make.

"Rebounding has been a key, transition was key, ball movement was a key. When we did some of that we had some success, when we didn't, we didn't."

On Mike Woodson's job security ...

Izzo: "I gotta say — mind boggling to me that Mike has won 18 games in a conference that is really difficult, from (No.) 2 to (No.) 13. And somebody's gotta stick up for him coming back next year? What a joke. What a joke, man."

On Kel'el Ware's play ...

Izzo: "Mike's done a hell of a job with Ware. He deserves a lot of credit. I played against him last year and wasn't very good. Now, Kinda like our kid (Xavier) Booker, I think strength, I think he's tougher and, earlier in the year he was OK, but the last half of the year he's been a force to be reckoned with. I give Mike a lot of credit and Ware a lot of credit. He made some tough shots.

"He made a couple that were pretty well defended and yet I have to do a better job of where we double from that and they just kept going to him. We tried to react with a couple different things but that falls on me."

On Michigan State's slow start ...

Izzo: "We just casted up threes. I think we took four threes in the first five shots. I don't know why. And we didn't get back. When we settled down a little bit, we were better. But consistency is still a factor.

"(Indiana) couldn't have played any better, I don't think. They haven't played any better than I've seen and we were right there on their court. New season starts Thursday. I'm kinda glad the old one's over. Learned a lot, figured out a lot and hopefully we'll do a better job."

On how to keep Akins engaged the whole game ...

Izzo: "I don't know. That would be a good question to ask him. Good player, great kid, good student. Just — hit some good shots ... I cannot complain about the shots we got, guys. I thought we really (got some good ones).

"Sometimes Jaden's offense affects his defense. But he did some good things, too. We bounced and looked like a real team there for awhile. We were moving the ball. We were getting inside, getting it outside, making shots, driving it. It's the consistency of it."

On Tyson Walker's player ...

Izzo: "I've never made an excuse for him but he's completely healthy now and that made a distance. He can go longer, that made a difference.

"I wish people knew what it was like to coach. I really do. I mean, great quote from Kobe Bryant on what it takes to lead people. As he says, it's not a Kumbaya experience. Where I'm most proud of Tyson — that's as good as I got after somebody because it's not legal anymore — and he responded. He responded with his head up and did what he was supposed to do. And I think that was really, really important. Proud of him. I'm actually proud of my team for the way we fought back. Two seven-point leads and we just didn't get it done."

On the final possession of the game ...

Izzo: "It's a decent shot for Tyson, he's hit some tough shots. We knew we weren't gonna get to the rim to get fouled. ... If our guards played like they should early, we wouldn't be talking this way. We gotta do a better job doubling. We haven't had that many problems with post people and that game we had a lot of problems."

On Michigan State's talent and expectations ...

Izzo: "We have good enough players, they have to play at a level. They're not all superstars. So, people have to play at a level. We talked a lot about playing with consistency, we talked a lot about playing harder.

"I'll call him out: Jaxon Kohler running down the floor, they throw a ball over the top, the guy gets it, lays it up. It's only two points. I just read that whole poem to them. It's only one possession, and at the end we lost by one. You can't make effort-related mistake. You can make skill-related mistakes, that has a lot to do with your talent.

"But, I'm telling you, I've got two guards who can shoot it as good as any I've had. They haven't shot it good lately. Tyson's that way and maybe he'll come out of it.

"Yes, Indiana did a hell of a job with their bigs. They deserve credit. But their guards didn't do much. That's where our championship level is supposed to be, with our guards. They gotta play that way."

On the frustration with Michigan State's season ...

Izzo: "It is frustrating. Because I really believe in my heart — this is not one of the best teams I've had, but this team, if our guards play well ... I think we're good enough to win games. That should fall on me. Don't put it on them. Put it on me, because I have not gotten it out of them. There's too much coddling, if you ask me. That would be a good question to ask them."

On what the Spartans need to do to make the tournament ...

Izzo: "I don't know what we need to do. Everybody talks about the NET. Our NET is higher than three-fourths of the country. I don't know what we need. I know this, I don't like leaving it up to anybody but us.

"If I say we gotta go up there (to the Big Ten Tournament) and win, then I'm dealing with their mental stuff and putting too much pressure on them. We need to go up there and win. Because we need to play better. That's it."