NCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP: SECOND ROUND - MICHIGAN ST. VS DUKE

March 19, 2022

Marcus Bingham Jr.

Gabe Brown

Joey Hauser

Max Christie

A.J. Hoggard

Tom Izzo

Bon Secours Wellness Arena

Michigan St. Spartans

Media Conference

Q. Marcus, what do you remember from playing Mark Williams last year, and what kind of challenges does he present as an athletic big?

MARCUS BINGHAM JR.: He's a good player, really big, shot blocker, someone like me. I'm just looking forward to the matchup. I can't really give you details on what happened last year. It's not really flowing through my mind right now. I'm just looking forward to the matchup and then coming home with the win.

Q. This is for both Gabe and Joey. Last three years you guys have played Duke and really the last six years, how much does having that knowledge help with the scouting report on short prep for you guys?

GABE BROWN: It's very good because the years that I've been here, they have been running the same stuff. It's a lot of plays that they got, so we have to lock in and focus on just the things that they do mentally. It's going to be a physical game, too. So we've just got to be ready to compete.

JOEY HAUSER: Like Gabe said, he they have a similar play style each year. They're not changing much. The one thing that changes a little bit, is their roster. Sometimes they have one-and-done guys. They might change from year to year, but other than that, they're running similar stuff.

Q. The defensive game plan going from Davidson to a team like this, how much does that change, how much work do you guys put in to adjusting to that defensively on that matchup?

MAX CHRISTIE: It's definitely different. Davidson and Duke are completely different teams where Davidson has a lot more shooters compared to Duke. Our defensive game plan is going to change from game to game. We're working on that, continuing to see that our defense is on par.

Q. I asked you about Paolo. When you watch him on tape, what stands out and where's the challenge in defending a guy like that?

JOEY HAUSER: He's a great player. He's probably going to be a top five draft pick. He's got great size. He's able to shoot it. He's able to get to the rim. So we need a lot of guys to help defend him. As coach always says, have six eyes on him. We're going to build that wall, and it's going to be a team effort for sure.

Q. This is for Gabe and Marcus. I'm wondering if you guys could think back to your freshman year and just sort of how Duke was perceived at that point. This program had lost seven in a row to Duke. I know you weren't there for that. Then you beat them in the NCAA Tournament and beat them again last year. Is the way you view Duke any different than you did all those years ago?

GABE BROWN: No. Like at the end of the day, it's just basketball. They were picked to be the national champs my freshman year, and we came in and one. All it comes down to just competing and focusing on the game plan that coach has got for us.

MARCUS BINGHAM JR.: I agree with what Gabe said. At the end of the day, it comes down to who's competing hardest and who's leaving it all out there.

Q. Max, you have as many NCAA Tournament wins as Duke's juniors. But a lot of guys who play them play the name on the front of the jersey. How do you get past that?

MAX CHRISTIE: I mean, Duke is Duke. Duke's a great team. They're a storied program. I'm just going in looking to play as hard as I can and do what I can as a team or as an individual to make sure that our team wins and we have a chance to go to the Sweet 16. For me, that's going to be a great experience if we can do that. So I'm going to do whatever I can to make sure that happens.

Q. This is Coach K's last season. Has any of you thought about if you win tomorrow night, you're ending Mike Krzyzewski's coaching career? Does that get thought of at all?

A.J. HOGGARD: That's definitely part of what goes into our head, but that's not the focus. The focus is to go out and do what we need to do to get the win. That's the story line that's going on with the game right now. We're not really focusing on that. We're focusing on us.

Q. Duke's players have talked about the challenge of living under the cloud of everything they've done this season is the last time Coach K is doing that. The narrative about this game is clearly about the two head coaches and the long history they have. Does that create a burden for you? Do you buy into the story lines like that? Or do you just go out and say it's about the ten guys that are on the court at any given time?

MAX CHRISTIE: I'd say we're all pretty focused on winning the game. I don't think any of us are burdened by anything, like you said. The Duke guys might feel burdened that it's Coach K's last whatever they do. For us, we're just going out there to win the game. This is going to be a big game. It's a huge story. At the end of the day, we're going to do what we can to make sure we get to the Sweet 16.

Q. When you guys came out last night for warmups, obviously the Duke fans remember the last time that you guys played against them in 2019 and you guys were booed relentlessly as you guys came out onto the floor. What was it like to get that reception from the Duke fans, and what's it like for you guys knowing you have this rivalry in this tournament?

MARCUS BINGHAM JR.: I would say it's just fuel to the fire. When we came out, I heard it myself personally. When you're coming out to boos and stuff like that, it's just fuel to the fire to get a win and move on. We're ready to play.

Q. Gabe, similar to the last one, obviously last night was a very pro-Davidson crowd and there were a little bit of Duke fans there, too. It's expected that tomorrow is going to be very pro Duke. How much of that environment that you're going to go through is like a tangible part of the prep and getting ready for tomorrow's game?

GABE BROWN: I love it. I love being underdogs. I love when the crowd is booing us and they don't believe in us because that's when we're at our best. Tomorrow we're just going to block out the noise and compete at the end of the day.

Q. Gabe and Marcus, kind of think back to that 2019 win over Duke, what was the feeling of getting that win versus maybe getting the win last year in Durham? Was there any difference that having already beat Duke once in your career, the second time you beat them, was there any difference between the two?

MARCUS BINGHAM JR.: It was to go to the Final Four, and they had a Number 1 draft pick on their team.

GABE BROWN: That's a great answer.

Q. What was the difference last year (no microphone)?

MARCUS BINGHAM JR.: Not really. It's always a good thing to beat Duke as Michigan State. Duke's always going to come out and compete with us. The rivalry stands on.

Q. Gabe and Marcus, this is the older guys. As guys who have gone through it, what do you think is sort of the secret to coach's success on the second day of a weekend like this? Somebody was mentioning earlier his record is like 70-something win percentage, I think. As you guys go through it, what do you think is the key to that quick turnaround success, do you think?

GABE BROWN: Just being mentally locked in. As Coach harps on every day, we have to be mentally locked in. Physicality, we're going to be ready, but mentally, that's where the game plan is at.

MARCUS BINGHAM JR.: Just staying locked in and listen to the coaches. They're working so hard on the game plan. Just listening to them and going out and playing, that's our job.

Q. Max, I know Duke was involved in your recruiting process. What do you remember about that, and what did you learn about Duke going through that process?

MAX CHRISTIE: Like you said, they did recruit me when I was in high school. Obviously, it was a great process going through that whole process and having them recruit me. At the end of the day, I chose Michigan State. Now that we're playing them, it feels good to sort of go up against a team that recruited me but I didn't choose them. So now I'm here playing for Michigan State. So I'm going to give my all for Michigan State to beat Duke.

Q. A.J., obviously, we've seen how you've played the last few games and now you're going to go into a matchup with a guy like Wendell Moore, who's playing really well, experienced guy. What do you see in that matchup for you? What's the key for you to keep going, what we've been seeing the last few games, the last couple weeks really?

A.J. HOGGARD: The key to that matchup is just for me to be the best version of me for my teammates, not make this the last game for my seniors. Just give it my all. Do whatever it takes to win. That's just really the key for my matchup.

Q. Joey, it was late when you got out of here last night, but after a game like the one you had, I'm sure Tom had a few things for you when you got back to the hotel. How many text messages did you have? Do you have calls you had to return? Did you go to sleep? What did you do?

JOEY HAUSER: Yeah, it was late. It was late, and to be honest with you, I really just texted my family, saw them at the hotel, got back to a couple buddies, and I was ready to get to bed. It was a little overwhelming, but we had to get some sleep.

Q. Max, this was your first experience for March Madness. Did it kind of live up to those expectations? As a kid, you're dreaming of playing in this. Did that kind of live up to the hype for you?

MAX CHRISTIE: Definitely. If I'm being honest, I was pretty nervous when I was going out there. I dreamed about this. I watched this as a kid growing up, every single tournament, every single year watching, and now I'm playing in it. It definitely lives up to its hype for sure. I'm excited we won last night's game, and now I'll be able to play another game.

Q. This question is for anybody that wants to take the lead. Unrelated to Duke, sort of, I'm curious on not a scouting perspective, but just a basketball fan, how much you guys are paying attention to the other games going on around the country. Are you guys just kind of locked in to what you're on and not really focusing on any other games?

MAX CHRISTIE: I watch the games to be honest. I still like to keep that sort of fan perspective, watching the other games, seeing how the other teams are doing. Eventually we might meet up with some of the teams we're watching. I still think it's okay for us to watch other games, have a little bit of fun with it, and still have that March feeling.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you, gentlemen. .

THE MODERATOR: We're going to go ahead and get started here. Coach, if you can give an opening statement.

TOM IZZO: I know why it's my favorite time of year. There's nothing like going to bed late, waking up early, then catching a few of the games on TV like the Baylor game that I watched with North Carolina. I watched the end of that. Just a buzz around everywhere. I think that's what college basketball has done. I still get to be a part of it for another day.

That's kind of what you live for in this job. We're excited to be here. We understand the task at hand, and yet we're looking forward to the challenge.

Q. Tom, this is the sixth straight year you've played Duke, and I think the 11th time since 2010. How much on a short prep does that help you? And how much do they remain the same with changes in personnel?

TOM IZZO: It's a little harder for us because they change personnel a little bit more. He's had more one-and-dones and things like that. He does a great job of adjusting. You know, keeping his system but adjusting, tweaking it a little bit. I don't know if past performance. I watched a little bit of that game last year. I look at our team, I look at his team. I said who are those guys? In both ways. Mine might have the same people but playing different. His might have some of the same people but playing a lot different with their big guy.

So I don't know if that helps us much. I didn't realize I played him six times in a row. Who the hell scheduled that? (Laughter).

Q. Tom, obviously in the Davidson game, the defense, your defensive effort was so important in that and guarding that team. Now two days later you're going to come against a much different team. And about that quick turnaround and keeping that focus on that defensive effort. What's the challenge for these guys? Not so much physically, but mentally being dialed into a different sort of approach?

TOM IZZO: To be honest with you, we did some different things against Davidson. We felt like we had to run them off, all these DHOs, and they used these dribble handoffs as ball screens, a little different.

The one good thing about our league now compared to how it was even ten years ago or five years ago is there's so many new coaches. You've got Fred Hoiberg, who does some stuff one way. Micah at Penn State does things a different way. Still got the main stage of what Matt Painter does or Greg Gard. But I think we have a variety of different things that helps prepare you for it. We played some good nonconference games.

I'm not sure anybody -- and Banchero is an unbelievable player, but they've got some other guys that have been in the program that I think have gotten much better. You do go to two different styles. Maybe Davidson wasn't as athletic at driving the ball, and Duke is unbelievably athletic and got linebackers at guards and they drive the ball with strength. So there has been some things we worked on last night, a little bit this morning, a lot, today we'll do a little bit more.

Q. We were talking about longevity a couple days ago. It's not something we see, we don't think we're going to see as much in the future from coaches. I am curious, though, with the Hall of Famers meeting up, Mike Krzyzewski's last tournament, what do you think y'all's matchup mean to the sport, to have this type of moment where we might not see these types of moments from coaches that have been a long time success at a program in the future?

TOM IZZO: That's a really good question that I respect. I said you can be friends, but for 40 minutes you're not. The game is bigger than normal. I mean, not only is it -- you know, we've both had some success. They've had more than we have, but we've both had some success.

But I look at -- it's kind of hard for me to prepare. Everybody's saying, are you going to end his career on this note? Are you going to do this? Are you going to do that? First of all, I'm not going to do any of that. The players will hopefully find a way to win. But just think what he's going through and his players are going through. Emotionally, it's got to be an incredible -- I can't even imagine.

Both of us have to do what we tell our players every day. The double Ds, the dirtbags and distractions. Keep those two things away from us. I think in general the distractions of this, for me, the first time they gave us the pairings, it was Foster Loyer, and deservedly so. I think you saw how much respect we have for him and for Bob.

Then if you win, there's another home game against Duke and a guy that I've respected and played since my, I think, second year coaching.

We're all going to have to -- players will probably be a little easier. Coaches are going to have to keep the distractions away from themselves, and that could be harder for Mike, looking at what he's done and coming to an end in the next one, two, or three weeks of an incredible career.

Q. Mike was in here talking about some of the coaches that have played or worked for him and gone on. He said I advise every coach, if you see something that you like, by all means, take it, but be your own person. Having known him as long and as well as you have, is there anything you've taken from his coaching career that you thought to do it that way? And what way are you different as coaches?

TOM IZZO: Mike has a much better TV -- like I always thought Mike was really calm. He had the Duke button up. You know, I didn't know which bank he worked for, but I knew it was a bank. Then I played him the first time, and I look down there, and I said, wow, sometimes he talks like a Yooper. Meaning I learned that about him, but I appreciate that about him too. I think he's real.

I think what I learned most from him happened really early in my career at the Final Four in Florida in Tampa. I heard him talking about winning the weekend, and that has definitely been stolen. I've stole that, and I realize that Michigan State, winning the game, we started going on you win the first game, let our staff help you win the second game because the first game, you get four days to prepare for it. But the second day, you get one.

So I talked a lot about winning the weekend and actually prepare that way now. We did prepare a little bit for Duke. Sometimes it's harder. Normally I've been a little bit higher seed, and you figure you're going to get through the first game, although losing a 2-15 myself, I know what that's like.

I really believe that that and the consistency are the two things I've stolen from him.

Where we're different, I don't think that much. I think he coaches in warm weather. I coach in the snow.

Q. I wonder, when you see some of your contemporaries stepping away, whether it's Roy and now Mike and Lon Krueger, Beilein to some extent. How does that make you feel?

TOM IZZO: Old.

Q. Besides that. Does it make you, I don't know, reassess or take a longer look at how long do I want to do this? Those kinds of things.

TOM IZZO: Well, it's funny because I talked to John Beilein a little bit about it. I talked to Mark Dantonio about it. I talked to Mike a little bit about it. Roy, I talked to a little bit about it. I actually feel healthier and better now than I did three, four years ago. We went through a lot.

When the day comes where I start thinking about it on a serious note, I will reach out to guys. I'm lucky, I've got some guys I can reach out to and talk to. Gene Keady's been a guy I talked to a lot. Just the other day, Mike said, when this is over, we'll sit down and talk.

I think that's the advantage you've got when you respect some people in your profession. You know, talk to John Beilein about it.

But right now my players and our 600,000 living alums are stuck with me, and I plan on staying that way for a while. I still have some goals and dreams to achieve, but when it's time, I'll have some good guys to call. I'm appreciative of that.

Q. Tom, I was just wondering if you have any memories of your first game against Mike. It was December of '98.

TOM IZZO: Yeah, we were in Chicago, and at the time my -- you know, '95/' 96, '96/' 97 -- at the time, it was December of '98 or '97. That's when I was an assistant back then. I do remember playing him. Was it in Chicago?

Q. (No microphone).

TOM IZZO: We didn't get beat that bad. We were a good team, but that's when we were just growing our program. I remember you want to have a measuring stick, and it was Charlie Bell, I think, earlier, Andre Hudson, one of those guys, always said to be the best, you've got to beat the best. I'm sure a million other people had that, but I heard it then, and it was kind of like we have an opportunity to play Duke and measure up.

Well, we didn't measure up so good then. There's a lot of times we haven't. But most of those games, other than my home games, have been very competitive. I look at all the opportunities I have against -- I played in every place now. I got to go to Butler this year. I value every one of them and think how lucky I am.

When you play some of the elite, like a Duke or a Kentucky or you go to UCLA, those are memory making moments for the coach, too. So I don't know if I learned too much from him, but I -- or what I took away, I took away we got beat and we had to get better and we'd better get better players. Then we played them in the Final Four, I think, the next year and got beat again. But in somewhat of a close game and just kept learning, kept learning, kept learning.

You know, it hasn't been the smoothest rivalry. We've probably played them more than a lot of teams other than their conference, but it's because I keep swinging, trying to accomplish some things I want to accomplish on a regular basis instead of a once in a while basis.

Q. Tom, you mentioned earlier just how impressed you've been with how Coach K adjusts depending on his personnel, the rotating rosters year to year. Two-part question. One, what impresses you the most about what he's done with this year's squad and how they're playing? Two, what do you feel is the biggest thing you're going to need to take away from them to win this game tomorrow?

TOM IZZO: I've been impressed I think he's taken his two or three freshmen superstars, but he's got those guys that I really believe are valuable, you know, he's got some juniors, he's finally got some juniors and even a senior that play a little bit, and a transfer who's a fifth year guy, I believe.

He's been stuck so many times with just the young guys, and I think he's done a good job of balancing the two right now. And then adjusting to Banchero and what he can do because he can beat you from a three, he can beat you off the dribble, he can beat you in the post. He's kind of a three-dimensional player. And then fit those other shooters in.

I just think that he's got a little bit of veterans and a little bit of youth now, and that's probably better for Mike and better for his team.

Q. Tom, because of what happened in 2020, you got to sort of live with the 2019 Elite Eight victory a little longer than you might with some others. I wonder if it's become -- if it sort of became a little bit of a favorite for you and all the things you had to do to beat that team, stopping Zion, executing, all that sort of stuff.

TOM IZZO: Well, what was the real question?

Q. (No microphone).

TOM IZZO: Yeah, it did sit there for two years. That was kind of maybe the only good thing about COVID, come to think of it.

You know, I still don't look at -- it's embarrassing to say that in a way because what our program has done, you'd think we'd be better than we've been against them. We've played them at home and had our worst beatings at home.

But I still think that every time we play, there is respect amongst the program and definitely by the coaches. So I didn't really -- I didn't go home and celebrate. I mean, I said we beat them in a game that really mattered. When you're going to the Final Four, those games really matter. We beat him in Austin in the Sweet 16 game to go on to Kentucky.

Those are memory making moments because that one was Duke and Kentucky in the same weekend. That's way better than Christmas. So this one in '19, I really liked his team. He had a good team. But we had a good team too, and Cassius was unbelievable and Xavier, and we found a way to win it. If you go home and celebrate, it kind of means you're not at the same level. Although when you're 3-12 or whatever we are, we're sort of not there yet, but I think we're constantly climbing that mountain.

Q. Coach, when you think about the amount of people down here who remember that 2019 win, when you guys came out onto the floor, your team was relentlessly booed. I asked the guys before what they thought of that, and they told us that it just added fuel to the fire. Gabe said he likes that and just got them energized. What did you personally think of that last night?

TOM IZZO: Well, we're down here in Davidson country. For a small school, I thought they had an unbelievable crowd. It was great. I'm so happy to have human beings instead of cardboard heads, that booing me, cheering me, yelling at me, it felt good just having human beings in the stands.

But we're down here in Duke and Davidson country and that makes the challenge bigger, but it makes it even better.

Q. Tom, when you went to play at Duke last year, did you notice anything different from the guys having won that 2019 game versus some of the other teams that had not beaten Duke? Was there a different type of confidence in them the second time?

TOM IZZO: You know, I don't know if I noticed it. It was such a bizarre year, Chris. Everybody was just in survival mode. I'll bet you inwardly, I mean, when you do something that you haven't done very often, you definitely get some confidence in it. Maybe it helped a little bit. Both our teams were different teams at the time, and they were struggling a little bit. We were trying to find ourselves, and there was nobody in the stands, no Cameron Crazies.

I don't know, that would be a good question for the players. As a coach, I was just worried about trying to win a game. I didn't really know where their confidence level was. I was trying to learn my own team a little bit.

Q. You talked about Mike's consistency year after year and how that's impressed you over time. I know you want to prevent this from happening, but he has a chance tomorrow for his 1,200th victory. Just given how hard it is to win at this level, is that a staggering number to you?

TOM IZZO: I've often said he's got more wins than I've got practices under my belt. I think I was there when he broke Knight's record. That was at Madison Square Garden. So maybe the NCAA decides I'm the sacrificial lamb or something, I don't know.

Like I said, I'll pull for Mike Krzyzewski every game but I guess one every -- in the last six years. I've got to pull for us, and I've got to do a better job than I've done over the years, and my players have got to play better. That's the most important thing.

But getting 1,200 wins or 1,199 wins is just unbelievable. You talk about consistency. You talk about guys staying with the same program. You talk about how long guys are going to coach. Man, if that record's broken -- and I know they're all meant to be broken -- but someone's going to have to start right out of the womb to break that record, I think, in the future.

Q. Obviously, the game is here. You have to play whoever's in front of you. But just because of the stakes or because of the history in K's potentially last game, is there a part of you that wishes this was later, like the Final Four or National Championship? Or would you prefer to have it now?

TOM IZZO: Oh, no, I'd like it to be the championship game, man. (Laughter). Not all for Coach K, though. That means we're there. I would like it to be there.

Like I said, there's going to be weird emotions on both sides of the scorers table. I can't even imagine what it's been like for Mike. I saw Mickey the other day, yesterday, the day before here, and I can't imagine when you've done something that long at the same place, the emotions of that.

I remember when we beat John Chaney to go to the Final Four in Atlanta, in '01, I think. I went down and I had so much -- he was the guy that got me convinced that I should schedule the world every year. I felt great, we're going to a third Final Four in a row, but I did feel strange in looking at John and thinking guys like him and Gene Keady had never been to one, or I didn't think at the time.

So there will always be that. That's part of life. But for 40 minutes, I'll bet you Mike wants to beat the hell out of me, and I bet you I want to beat the hell out of him. And what happens after, only time will tell.