NCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP: FIRST ROUND - USC VS MICHIGAN STATE

March 16, 2023

Tom Izzo

Nationwide Arena

Michigan State Spartans

Media Conference

COACH IZZO: I'm excited to be here. I really am. I think it's great. You never know where you're going or what you're doing, but anytime you can be closer to home, it's great for your fans, your media, your players, the families, this, that, the other thing.

But Columbus, we've been here before. We've been at this arena, not with these guys. But it's been a great venue. And I'm just excited to be here. I think our team -- we played some really good basketball in the last three weeks, and we played a couple of games that I think was really poor.

I think staying focused has been a little bit of an issue for us. The task at hand. But we've been a very good defensive team three-fourths of the year. We've been a very good offensive team a quarter of the year. You hope in this new season you can put the two together, and that's what we're trying to do.

Q. You just mentioned focus being a bit of an issue the last couple of weeks. What about the focus would you say is the problem, and how does that kind of change this weekend?

COACH IZZO: I just think that staying focused in for a couple of hours of a game and practices and everything is definitely what a lot of coaches are complaining about right now. And there's getting to be more and more things, as you alluded to, and we're dealing with it.

We're trying to deal with it in the right way and deal with the NIL and all the issues that they have with that and the expectations for them.

And so I have been disappointed that I didn't think -- at Iowa we lost a little focus at the end, against Ohio State, I thought they played awfully well but we didn't play as good defensively.

So different reasons. But in general I've said it since this summer, I like this team, I don't think it's the most talented team I've had. But I do think for the most part it's been a pretty connected team and that's what we've tried to get back is a little more of that connectiveness that gets you through.

Q. Talking to the players when they were in here, the two sides of Tom Izzo, the Teddy bear side and the terror side, is that an accurate --

COACH IZZO: No, the terror side left. It's illegal now. Lawyers sue you for telling a kid he did something wrong, so the terror side is all but gone. Seriously.

I don't think it's good. But when I say stay focused and doing the right job, I look in the mirror a lot. And sometimes I don't like what I see in me. And I let the players know that.

So maybe the terror side will come out again, because I think -- I had a parent tell me something two days ago that I really enjoyed. Coach my kid, the hell with the outside stuff. Coach my kid.

And I think all of us have done sometimes more managing than coaching them. So I'm coaching them. So hopefully I bring that with me this weekend and hopefully our team responds.

Teddy bear? I don't know. I don't know where that guy went.

Q. I'd like to know in the past it feels like you've had teams where March comes and there's some kind of, for lack of a better term, a switch that flips. Is there something that is with this team that you see that maybe the sense of urgency, the legitimate one-and-done may push them to a more engaged, focused demeanor as you're looking for?

COACH IZZO: We talk about it a lot. And I think a lot of great coaches over the past that have retired, Roy and Mike, especially, you talk about every team's different. What I forget sometimes is my experiences, like I've been to this arena. We won in this arena. I love this arena. They've never been here.

And I think sometimes we forget that each time. So each team you've got to continuously talk about the sense of urgency, the one-and-done, until you go through it. A lot of times it doesn't hit home.

And as I said last weekend, the "my bads" are okay. Everyone's allowed to make a mistake if you want to go home. If you want to keep playing, you don't get to make a lot of mistakes. That's the nature of the beast.

Whether it's a parent, a media person, a girlfriend, thinking everybody's too hard on them, that's why there's only one champion. There's only four in the Final Four. As the old pyramid of John Wooden, each step there's more pressure, there's more expectations, there's more to be done.

I'm hoping I spent more time talking to my team this week than even working to try to sell that because I do like my team. And I'm a half-empty glass guy, as we all know. There's no huggy bear. My wife would laugh at you, which I've laughed at you a few times.

But anyway, it's what we're all striving for and how we get to it is something I think all coaches are looking at a little differently now. It's been hard for these guys in fairness to COVID and then the things that have happened. It's been hard.

My son is a senior. He doesn't play. I sleep on the couch when I go home because my wife's mad at me. But my son has been to about a year worth of school in four years. And so I think we all have to kind of understand everything these guys have gone through. And that's why I think the whole country -- the beauty of it is I don't think anybody's head and shoulders above.

In '09 we played North Carolina at the beginning of the year. We got beat by 25. We played them in the championship game. We got beat by 22. That team, I would have rather played the Pistons in Detroit than North Carolina.

There aren't those kind of teams, in my humble opinion. That doesn't mean there aren't some real good teams, but there's nobody that's head and shoulders above anybody, which gives me hope because I've been a 1 seed and lost in the first weekend, been a 1 seed and went to a Final Four, been a 7 seed and got to a Final Four. So why not do it again? Who knows?

Q. A lot of the guys you have this year were here last year but last year was the first tournament or first with fans at least. And you've mentioned leading up to the postseason how you're confident that this team can make a run. Is some of the confidence the fact you've been here before and been in that atmosphere? Obviously the two games last year were sort of road games for you guys, a lot of home fans for the other two teams?

COACH IZZO: Yeah, we played Davidson and Duke, we were down there. But I think that always helps. Experience helps in everything but coaching. We have trouble selling our experience to people.

But I think when a player has experience and he's been in the tournament it definitely helps. But, again, every team has a new leader. We're a different team this year than we were last year.

But the A.J.s and the Tysons and Joey Hausers and Malik Halls and Jaden Akins made a big jump this year. That's got to help you some. And our team's been pretty much together. We don't have a bunch of different guys we've brought in. It's pretty much a home-grown team. And that can be advantageous somewhere down the line. We'll see if it is.

When I say I feel confident, if you think I sleep nights, you're crazy. I'm not that confident. I like the ingredients we have, whether we can put it together for 40 minutes.

Q. When you talk about things like some of the external factors that players now deal with, whether it's NIL or social media and all those types of things, how does that apply to student-athletes that you're recruiting and how does that influence the recruiting game in general?

COACH IZZO: Oh, well, the NCAA says that you cannot entice a player with NIL money. I love your laugh. It's ridiculous. We all know what's going on.

And so what impact? It has a big impact. Everything has an impact. Players want to go. Players are worried about who you're taking as a transfer, what you're doing here, what you're doing there.

Very difficult to manage a roster right now for coaches. But it's very difficult for players to figure out where, should I go and are they going to pick up three more guys.

We used to know those things. So I continuously say, and I'll say it until I'm done, players, I think, are getting hurt more than they're getting helped. And I think it's just tough on those guys.

I mean, I'm going to find players. I'm going to get players and win games. How many? I don't know, but I'm going to get enough.

But those players, they get certain length of time and it works out really good for a couple, and I can tell you a handful that I know just in our league that it didn't work out so good for.

So only time will tell and it will be something that someone's going to have to put up with. But I think it affects it a lot.

Q. How well do you think the Big Ten prepared teams to potentially put together a run in this postseason?

COACH IZZO: Yeah, you know the Big Ten, I've been in it -- I've been in those eight Final Fours, I think, three or four of them, I think we had two Big Ten teams in the Finals, we had Ohio State and us, had Wisconsin and us, had Illinois and us.

So it's not like we aren't getting them. Why aren't we winning it? It all comes down to matchups at the end. I worry a little bit. I think we beat the hell out of our league this year, each other. That can make you stronger or wear you down. I don't know.

But I like the position that some of these Big Ten teams are in. Purdue is awfully good and a one-day prep figuring out how to guard Edey, it's going to take more than John Wooden coming back. It's a big deal.

And Indiana has a lot of things. You get a team like Iowa, who can really shoot it as times.

But I'm looking at Maryland -- Penn State could come right down to the matchup because they're a strange matchup. And if they get through the first game and you've got a one-day prep for a Penn State team that's going to have five 6-5 guys out there that can shoot it, that's not the norm. That's why I say matchups make a huge difference in the tournament.

Am I disappointed that we're the last Big Ten team because we've been there six other times and haven't won one? Sure. Do I think Illinois was good enough one year? Do I think Wisconsin, Michigan? Yeah, I do, but we haven't done it. So we've got to take our lumps on that and try to do something about it.

But I think we're prepared if we're not beat up because it was a brutal season. When you got three-fourths of your league at 11-7 or 10-8, whatever we are, it means that everybody's beating the hell out of everybody.

Q. Just chatting with Mady Sissoko for a few minutes, and you can sense the genuine nervous energy he talked about. I'm wondering, going through this, in his role for the first time, I'm wondering, first of all, how much you enjoy sort of his genuine nature on things and how much you can see it, and how much you have talked to him and want him to sort of try to get the best version of himself, what you've talked to him about that in this tournament?

COACH IZZO: I love nervousness. I think there's not enough nervousness. In other words, nervousness means it really matters. Being scared is an okay deal. I don't know that "scared" is the right word; "nervous" is the better word.

I think Mady is excited and a little nervous. I think some of the young guys are excited but nervous.

I think right now, this day and age, that's great. I think too many guys are excited, cool and casual. I struggle with those guys.

So if Mady is nervous, that's a good thing. And I have tried to talk to him. He's had a great week of practice. And we've had a good week in general. But Mady's had a very good week and he's very good defensively. He's got some work to do offensively.

But it's going to be different for him. He's used to going against Dickerson and guys that are 7'4", 7'5", 7'2". And now we're going to play a team that's more guard oriented, perimeter oriented than they are inside. And so it's going to be a different chore for him getting up on ball screens and getting up to help our guards.

And I'm anxious to see how he does. But I'm confident in Mady. He's been here three years. His role is different this year. First year he was hurt a lot. But he's ready to go. He's a tough kid. He's a great kid. So I don't worry about him.

Q. With the change from conference play to the NCAA Tournament, do you feel like things can open up a little more for the break, particularly when teams aren't used to seeing you? And how much does things change, good or bad, between the officials knowing or not knowing a team?

COACH IZZO: You don't think the day before the game I'm going to comment on the officials, I hope. I mean, it is different. It's different for players, it's different for coaches because you get different officials from all over the country now.

There might be somebody from the East Coast doing our game and somebody from the West Coast. And it all balances out. So that I don't worry about because I have no control over.

But as far as -- what was the first part of that? Yeah, when you're in our league and it's so televised and it's so scouted and we've had some of the same coaches now -- everybody knows what gum you chew, what you do, you call a play and the manager on the end is yelling where the ball's going -- this will be different.

And I think that helps us because we do run some stuff. But at the end of the day I think we make things so complex. That's why I'm a big football fan. No matter what you do in football, they talk about the new passing and the RPOs and the this and that. And you know what? You've got to be able to block and tackle.

At the end of the day you've got to be able to defend and rebound in ours and hopefully that leads to running. And that's our mantra -- defend, rebound and run. If we can do that, we're a better team.

And there's times A.J.'s really pushed the ball well. We've ran really well. We scored a lot better lately. We've just got to get that defense and that rebounding back. If we do that, we've got a chance to advance. If we don't, we'll be going home. Pretty simple.

Q. Last time these two programs met was that '09 tournament that you mentioned. Wondering if you have any memories of that game, specifically.

COACH IZZO: Was that Minnesota? Yeah. Tim Floyd was there, right? That was a long time -- I remember Travis Walton had a big game, career game. It was a dogfight. They had some very good players and that game kind of propelled us on to the Final Four that year.

And I'm not sure Andy will be as congenial and think, well, we might as well let history repeat itself. But he's done a really good job there. And I don't look at anything of what happened 10, 12 years ago. If you're playing Carolina or Duke in the last 20 years, I mean, it's just like playing Michigan State. People knew. But there's been different coaches there. We haven't played them much.

So I'm just looking forward to playing against somebody different, seeing where a team is. But Andy has done a really good job with this team. I'm telling you, they have a guard that's as good as any guard we faced this year in Boogie Ellis. And Peterson is another one that's kind of a tremendous mismatch at 6'9", maybe one of the better passers I've seen.

So we're going to have to contain Ellis and not a lot of people have. That's why he's a First-Team All-Pac-12. That's why he's helped them do what they do. We'll see what we can throw at them. But I'm looking forward to it. I'm glad we're in Columbus, and hopefully we'll play well.