MSU's Tom Izzo on Joey Hauser: 'He's the Real Deal'
Tom Izzo and Michigan State basketball lost Cassius Winston and Xavier Tillman Sr. in the same year, yet it doesn't seem to bother their head coach, who always finds a way to be relevant come tournament time.
Izzo joined Andy Katz and the Big Ten Network to discuss a multitude of topics, including Joey Hauser – a guy who didn't play last year after the NCAA denied his waiver appeal.
However, his new head coach expects him to have a big year.
"To me, he's the real deal. He can really shoot it," Izzo told Andy Katz. "He's just an all-around player; he can pass it, he can defend it, he can handle it."
Hauser spent one season at Marquette, playing in all 34 games and averaging 9.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game while shooting 44.7% from the field.
Earlier this year, Izzo was impressed with how Hauser handled being forced to sit out, saying he understands redshirt years are "painful to go through," but "when you do go through them if you are a driven guy, you can get a lot out of them. Which he did."
Even without touching the court in a live setting, Hauser made an impression on Izzo based on his work ethic.
And that's saying something.
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