March 16, 2007

PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES

MARCH 16, 2007

MICHIGAN STATE SPARTANS

 

 

HEAD COACH TOM IZZO

 

Opening Statement

Well, the opening remarks are there is some good news and some bad news.  The good news is we had some prep for North Carolina in the Marquette game.  They play similar styles.  I said to our team, that the only difference is North Carolina plays it like the Star Trek era.  It's kind of like Marquette is fast and North Carolina is warp speed.  And I think that is going to be a big issue in this game and one we are going to have to deal with and yet we are excited for the challenge.

 

Tell us the origin of the "war drill?"  And is it your own invention or have you adapted something else?

Its one of the only things that I think was my own invention, at least I didn't know of anybody else that had it.  It started because we were such a poor shooting team that our best offense was the missed shot and we had to go rebound it.  So we had to come up with some drill to rebound.  And there were times when it was a very physical drill I think our two teams have kind of changed.  Its like, we're not the physical team now and Hansbrough is the one swallowing the ball and people with it, he is a very physical player.  We hopefully will hold our own in there somewhat.  I think the loss of (Idong) Ibok is going to hurt us some in that area, but at the same time, we don't do much in an individual state defensively, it's mostly as a team.  Same with our rebounding - we team rebound.  We try to get our guards involved and everyone else.  The "war drill" was just a drill to hopefully being some mental and physical toughness.  We still do it about every day and it's a hair what it used to be, but it's still all right

 

Who is the master of the "war drill?"

The master was probably Antonio Smith, Zack Randolph, Jason Richardson - just because he could jump over everybody.  But, I'd say Smith, Randolph, a kid named Hudson - we used to have, I hate to use that word in this day and age, but it used to be a real war in there.  Now I call it powder puff football, we're in there just bumping each other like it's a dance.  But we still do and try to hit somebody every now and then and work on being physical and rebounding - which is what it is.  I can promise you its `kiddie' cartoons compared to what it used to be.

 

Can you explain the principle of the six eyes and the genesis of that and the principles of your defense that have made you so successful?

Our defense this year is a little different than other years in that we don't get many steals.  We are kind of playing it inside out because we just don't have the athletes or the depth we've had in the past.  The loss of Shannon Brown and Crannon probably hurt his year's team in that respect.  The six eye approach is any time a guy gets it I hope there's six eyes on him.  And that means stopping the penetration a little bit.  And we've had some success but not with a team that has as many or as good of penetrators.  Yet that's how we tried to play an Ohio State, try to keep some of their guys out of the lane.  Its more or less kind of a steal from Coach Daly of the Jordan rules, try to keep them in front of you and more than one person has to guard them because you're not guarding them by yourself.  We have that problem, individually, other than Walton, we are not as athletic so we kind of do it as a team.  So that's the origin and that is what it is.

 

What do you need from (Drew) Naymick and perhaps even Jake (Hannon) in this match up against Hansbrough?

Well, we need to stay out of foul trouble.  You know, he's very physical - the most physical player we've played in a couple of years if you ask me.  Its ironic the way he maneuvers in there.  And sometimes the missed shot is the big time shot for him too because he just has great hands and he goes and gets it.  I think staying out of trouble is going to be a key because now we are short a guy and if we have to play Jake a lot the size difference is enormous and the fact that he is walk-on doesn't make for good viewing at times.  Naymick has been pretty good guarding very good post men.  He's done a pretty good job on an Oden.  But I think Hansbrough has been more active than Oden was at the time we played him.  And will be more difficult to cover in that respect.

 

Talk about your match up with this team in the 2005 Final Four.  And particularly how Sean May and Hansbrough - compare and contrast those two.

I think in that game I thought we played a very good first half and sort of ran out of gas.  Our kid Allen Anderson, who was one of our best players, was hurt and just did not play very well, I don't think he scored a point.  But the second half it got away from us a little bit, I think for a lot of reasons.  But they went to May.  And May, in my mind, seems to be more skills.  This kid (Hansbrough) is just tough as nails.  When people talk about the Big 10 or Michigan State being physical, do you people out here not watch this kid?  I mean, he is the most physical player I've ever seen.  And there is some irony is that, it is said that we are such a physical team, but that kid is more physical than all of our guys put together.  So I think he brings that to the table.  A little more active, I think, than May was.  They both have good hands - I thought Mays were incredible, I think Hansbrough's are fantastic - May getting a little edge in that respect.  But he's just tough, he's relentless.  He's like the Energizer bunny, he just keeps going and going and going.  And that's why you get in foul trouble because he never relaxes.  And that's what we told our guys, you just can't relax - he's physical, he's thrown people around, he gets to the rim.  He's a heck of a player.

 

Drew (Neitzel) was a freshman that night in St. Louis two years ago, in what ways is he better now than he was then?

He's a lot better of a player.  He's a better defensive player by a long shot.  He's a more confident player, he looks for his shots more.  He has some charisma about him.  At that time he was only playing 20 minutes a game and was a point guard delivering to a lot of good guards.  But we had a lot lot lot more depth than we have now.  So at times he's going to wear down a little bit at this time of year.  And I didn't help the cause by not subbing him.  He's matured as all players do.  I think he's made a bigger stride defensively than offensively.  He just didn't show the offense as much, he played his role a little bit more.  He's always been able to score.  I don't think last night he shot the ball as well as I know he can so he's going to have to have a big time game.  But its nice to see for us that he didn't have that and we still found a way to win - some other guys stepped up and that was encouraging too.

 

Does Tyler Hansbrough remind you of Zach Randolph and the way he attacks and is relentless in rebounding the ball?

I think Randolph had a knack around the basket because he wasn't that big to get shots up.  But where they are almost identical, is when they put the ball up on the rim, if they shoot it, they are almost more dangerous of going and getting it than if someone else shoots it and they are going to get it.  Zach had the ability to take a shot and he was already at the rim, he was below the rim because he played below the rim, but so does Hansbrough a lot.  Yet, he was so quick to the ball.  I think Hansbrough has great hands, Randolph had phenomenal hands - if they get a finger on it, it's theirs.  That's where I think there are some similarities, yes.

 

Watching you scouting North Carolina last night, you looked a little depressed when they got off to that strong start.  Was wondering if you saw some things when they went into that lull that maybe gave you some more optimism?

I just stayed depressed all night because at halftime I left to go back and look at some film.  Because I thought, and still think, that Eastern Kentucky played completely different with their zone, their 1-3-1, so I didn't know if that would be a good barometer.  I just wanted to see the speed for a while and let our players see it.  I've watched enough film, now that I've spent the night looking at all their games, to know that the speed is there against everybody.  But I think the physicality is what I've been most impressed with because you never heard about that.  You always heard about these great athletes at North Carolina that are McDonald's All-American and phenomenal talent.  But they have a smash-mouth player now so with the other talent, that really creates a difficult situation.

 

Comment on how well your team has come together in the last month and a half and what have been the major changes?

There have been a couple things.  Our schedule at that time when we were really sliding was Ohio State twice and Purdue and Illinois on the road and that had something to do with it.  But Raymar Morgan and (Maurice) Joseph were out for those six weeks, they came back in the middle of January and it takes a couple of week to get a player back playing.  And I think Morgan is going to turn out to be one of the better forwards we've had at Michigan State and if he didn't miss that 6-7 weeks I think he's really be an incredible player.  But he started playing better and I think our defense continued to get better.  And our bigs have gotten better, I mean they are not where they need to be, I've been harping on that.  Marquise Gray is good enough; he played pretty well last night.  They are getting better; I think they are making some progress.  I think the combination of that and having some home games, because we had a brutal schedule during that stretch.  All those things helped this team.  But I'm as proud of the losses as the wins. We've been in 90 percent of the games.  Its not like we haven't played teams - not exactly like North Carolina - but we've played some of the best teams in the country too.  For that reason I don't think we'll be intimidated - if we can play with them, only time is going to tell.

 

How much different of a team is North Carolina when (Reyshawn) Terry is playing well?

I think a lot like Ohio State you get caught up in freshman, freshman, freshman when a team has a phenomenal batch of freshmen - but I still think that Butler, Lewis, Harris, some of those guys are the keys to Ohio State doing well.  I believe 99 percent of the teams in the country, comes tournament time, freshmen can be up and down and it's usually your veterans that stabilize you.  And he's been a guy that's been around a lot.  He's been in a lot of tournament.  He played very well last night.  And I do think he's a big key to the game, especially with that body and size and the way he

 

Should Michigan State be mentioned in the same breath with Carolina, Duke, Kentucky, the elites?

No, I don't think we are there yet.  We are in a different situation where we want to say we reload, but we really don't because recruiting isn't the same.  We got to remember too that its been a test of time. I'm proud that our 10 years we've withstood it and I think we are making some progress.  But tradition still plays a big part.  It's like Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State in football up in our neck of the wood - when you have that may years of it you earn the right.  And I think we are in the earning process.  We're earning it.  Now the four Final Fours put us up there with anybody but we still don't get to just snap our fingers and be on every recruit and things that programs of that stature do.  So do I think we are in that five, six school group? No.  Do I think we are in that 15 person group of some of the other great programs like a Maryland, Arizona or UConn?  I think we are in that group.

 

When there is an appearance that you don't have a great shot to win a game, do you relish that or does that tick you off?

No I relish it this year because I've been honest with this team all year.  I mean, it wouldn't take Einstein, I'm trying to get a special pardon from the NCAA to see if we can warm up in the auxiliary gym because watching North Carolina warm up bothers me.  I understand there is a difference in that respect.  But before I'm ready to give in to anything, we've taken Ohio State right to the wire twice and North Carolina played them without Oden and Ohio State took them to the wire.  We've beaten Wisconsin, we've beaten Texas, we played Maryland to a two-point game and we've played Boston College.  So it's not like we haven't played anybody or haven't proven ourselves.  I think this is just an impressive team.  We realize the role we are in, but I'd have to say we cherish the opportunity, I think its one I'm really looking forward to.

 

This will be like a home game for North Carolina, how big a factor is that?  Does your team enjoy playing on the road this year and draw better effort in those situations?

I think if anyone tells you they enjoy being on the road, they are lying to you.  Our road record wasn't phenomenal by any means, in fact it wasn't average, it wasn't decent.  But I don't think that has total meaning to what goes on in the NCAA Tournament.  But is there an advantage?  Sure there is an advantage.  But we played at Illinois and Wisconsin and at Rupp Arena.  We've played at North Carolina and Duke, that's the advantage to being in a program like this.  Not all of our guys have.  But I think we've done a good enough job of preparing them and they understand what crazy crowds are like.  And in some ways it can be a plus too.  I think I'd rather 15,000 Carolina fans pulling against us than stadium with nobody in it.  So I'm looking forward to that too.

 

People think you have overachieved this year.  Can you talk about striking a balance, or maybe ignoring that fact, with the opportunity that lies ahead?

I told the player, I was honest with, I thought, I don't know if overachieve is the right word.  But I think we got as much out of this team as we could when the season ended.  But I said now we got to reassess and redesign our goals.  I've talked to my team about - we've played some of the best in the country already and a beat a couple.  You get in this tournament and its one and done, but its one and done for everyone else too.  And sometimes when you are the underdog that is good and sometimes people don't handle it well.  We are still young; we are young and maybe not as talented.  But at the same time, we've played a lot of people pretty well this year. 

 

Does it intrigue or irritate you that if George Mason had not gotten in the way last year in Dayton this could be the third straight year that these two teams could be meeting in the tournament?

It irritates me.  Because I think that's what you look forward to.  Nothing against George Mason and we weren't looking ahead to North Carolina, but I would have like to have the chance to play them because I respect Roy and respect their program.  I think this is how you get the program up to the level you are talking about - you got to play them and beat those teams.  You don't get it by talking, you get it by doing.  I've always been a big advocate of playing as good of a non-conference schedule as we can handle.  That won't change - I love to schedule the North Carolinas and the Kentucky's because it's the only way you can really build your program - at least at Michigan State, for me, that's the way I believe it.

 

JUNIOR GUARD DREW NEITZEL

 

Can you talk about being the experienced junior going up against a freshman (Ty Lawson)?

The experience factor, especially going to the Final Four my freshman year, making a run deep in this tournament is a huge advantage.  I'm going to have to use that to my advantage this game, but it's not just him (Lawson).  They have a great bunch of guys, talented young freshmen.  It's going to take a team effort.

 

Is "shrinking the gaps" a principle you use no matter who the opponent is?

That is one of our main principles on defense - five guys helping each other and definitely shrinking the gaps and trying not to give up dribble penetration.  North Carolina is similar to Marquette in their preparation.  They both have great ball handlers, great athleticism on the perimeter, and they like to dribble-drive.  It shouldn't be too big of an adjustment.  We just have to work on keeping the guy in front of us and shrinking the gaps, like I said, having what we call six eyes - the guy guarding the ball and then two guys on the right and left sides, trying to shrink the court down and make them beat us from the outside.

 

When you think about North Carolina and its program and tradition, what is the first thing that comes to your mind?

The first thing that comes to my mind is Michael Jordan.  He's one of the best players to ever play the game, the best.  That shows what kind of a program they have.  They've developed so many great players.  Also they're the team that beat us in the Final Four a couple of years ago.  It should be an intense game.

 

What has contributed to you coming together toward the end of the season?

We fought through a lot of adversity this season, whether it's injury or sickness or things like that.  Up until a few weeks ago, we hadn't had our whole team together since Dec. 1, so I think that is a big key to our success.  We had a tough four-game losing streak.  We played four road games in a row, and then we came home and won four big home games to get back on the winning path.  We knocked off Wisconsin when they were No. 1, and I think our confidence and our chemistry has grown ever since then.

 

How daunting is it for you to be playing North Carolina in this environment?

Throughout the season, Coach Izzo has done a great job of scheduling.  We've played the best teams around the country, non-conference and conference-wise.  The Big 10 is one of the top conferences in the country.  We played at Ohio State, at Wisconsin, and we've played some top-ranked teams and beat a team when they were No. 1.  I think we're as prepared as anybody in the country to face this team.  We just have to follow our game plan and execute and see what happens.

 

Are you looking forward to being the underdog and leaving everything on the court without pressure?

That's been the attitude of this team throughout this whole season.  We've been the underdog in a lot of games this season.  That's something that's a big key to our success - we just left everything on the court every time we stepped on it.  On the defensive end, rebounding the ball and just executing.  It's another great challenge, and that's something we look forward to every time we step on the court, whether it's Ohio State, Wisconsin or anybody.

 

Michigan State has a reputation of being one of the toughest physical teams.  How does Coach coach that?

Every day in practice, even in the offseason and our weight workouts, strength and conditioning program is very intense, and practice every day is very intense.  The war drill is famous at Michigan State.  It's just a war every time we come to practice, and if you go through that every day, it's going to carry out onto the court.  That's just what Coach Izzo preaches.  He's a hard, tough-nosed guy himself, and that kind of rubs off on his players.

 

SOPHOMORE GUARD TRAVIS WALTON

 

Are you getting tired of the challenge of facing good guards?

He (Ty Lawson) is a great player.  He's quick.  He hounds the ball pretty good.  But we're going to play great team defense.  We've got to give him six eyes like some other great players have been given.  We just have to play great team defense.

 

When you think about North Carolina and its program and tradition, what is the first thing that comes to your mind?

You just think of great tradition, great program, athletic players, great players that can do everything - dribbling the ball, shooting the ball, passing.  Pretty much it is a great tradition with great players.  Every player from one to 15 is great at something.

 

What are North Carolina's strengths and weaknesses?

They play great basketball.  That's why they're rated so high.  They're quick in transition, they can shoot the ball, they have a great low post player, or two post players.  It's going to be a tough game.  We're going to have to play great team defense, shrink the gaps up and be aggressive.  It's going to be a team effort.

 

What do you think is the national perception of Michigan State basketball?

We're a blue-collar team.  We're tough. There's a great tradition here as far as family.  Sometimes people don't think we're going to make it as far, so they don't believe in us as much.  We kind of surprise a lot of people.

 

What are some of the hidden things that Drew Neitzel does that make you successful?

He's just a leader.  He has a lot of experience from last year and the year before that.  He's a great passer.  He's always communicating with us.  When things aren't going right, our huddle can get a little intense, and he's the player that's always telling everybody, `Calm down, stick together, we have to keep fighting through it.'  Coach Izzo is a great coach, but at times, when he gets hard on us, Drew's the one telling us `Hey y'all, calm down, just chill, relax.  Listen to what he says, not how he's saying it.'