NCAA MEN'S 3RD & 4TH ROUND REGIONALS: AUSTIN

March 24, 2005

Alan Anderson

Paul Davis

Chris Hill

Tom Izzo

COACH: We're thrilled to be here, I will tell you that. It is good to be back in the Sweet 16. I think our players have deserved this opportunity, especially our seniors who have been through a grueling four years. When I look back, it has been productive. I think we are meeting the cream of the crop when you play Duke. It is well documented how good a team this is and how good a program this has been. I look at this as a great challenge, but one that look forward to.

COACH: As you say, UCLA was awfully good. When you look at this modern day era with the parody being so much better, it is more incredible what Mike has done there. I think the scrutinization is so much more and he has dealt with it . I would almost like to talk to him how he dealt with it and managed it then how he has built his team. He is definitely the benchmark. There is no ifs, ands or buts about it. Like I said a hundred times, he has done it over time and he has done it the right way and he has battled through some losses himself as far as players and still maintained his excellence. That puts him in every way, shape or form right up there not being in the John Wooden era. I knew I had great respect for Coach Wooden, but it is hard to top what make Krzyzewski has done.

COACK IZZO: Like to tie them up and make sure they can't lift their right arms because they did a lot of damage against us last time. We have to check them better for sure. We have to be more aware of them from a farther distance than we were, especially Redick who shot the ball. And you saw the game from a long ways out, I will put it that way. But you know, they have been great players. Redick has improved their game. They both have. That makes them harder to cover. You can't step up on screens and things like that. You have to cover them one-on-one. I am hoping at least we can do that.

COACH: I think consistency with a group, you know, we still haven't consistently shot the ball like we did for a year and half. For some reason the last part of the year we haven't shot the three like we did before. I think that is one area that we can definitely make some progress and just consistently staying focussed. We're athletic enough. If we get everybody to play as hard as they can, then I think we can take one more step. Of course getting over the hurdle in front of us is a big step, but I think a step that players are capable of and the program is capable of.

COACH: It is awesome. When you look at there and you have three programs that have gone Final Fours in the last seven, eight years. And then you have one of the best players in Redick. You have Bogut. And that lends for an incredible regional. I have great respect for Ray, the job he has done this year. Of course Tubby. We have played them more than a couple of times in the last four or five years. I don't think it could be a better regional. If you are going get to a Final Four, what better way to do it. I think this regain has that.

COACH: I don't think they are intimidating for us. That doesn't mean we can beat them. What it means is we prepared this team. I think you can prepare a team to play the best. We have gone on the road and played. We have played teams for the last four years non Conference. As I said many times, we have played in every venue possible. I don't think we are intimidated by the name. Maybe we were years ago. I think this might be one of his best coaching jobs. When I look at his team compared to so many other teams. But unless you're there day to day, you don't know that. We're as prepared to play Duke as we have ever been and you have still got to beat them.

COACH: Maybe, key five letter word. I think this team is mentally tough. I still think there is physical toughness. This is mentally tough. That is why Redick and Ewing, they are 12 volt batteries. They just keep going. I have been impressed by that in the NCAA tournament. Of course the timeouts, it changes things a little bit. It just comes down to our guys are going to run as hard offensively and defensively. I think we have more numbers. Whether that will be a factor, only time will tell. I think it is one that we've used most of year. It has been against a lot of teams. Whether it will be against Duke, we will find out.

COACH: I can throw out a few other words, if you want me to do that. The one that comes back is respect. I have always had respect. I will have respect. Every one of us wants to do some things and maintain. Maintaining is harder than getting there. So, I have respect for what he has done off the court and in the classroom, in all ways. Frustration? Yeah, a little bit. Not as much as you think. You know, I think we have played some pretty good games in all but one. Sometimes that is what happens. I am not frustrated to say, oh, we can't beat them. We haven't played them that many times. I just think it is just another hurdle to get over. This would be a great time and place to do it.

COACH: I think it is getting better and better. Chris Hill, his assist to turnover ratio has been phenomenal, and Drew Neitzel who is truer of the point guards has gone from learning how to play at this level to now knowing how to play at this level. It is a matter of picking things up. Our running game has improved. I think we have handled the ball pretty well when you consider how much we do run, our turnovers are human. I think it is solid. Wouldn't put it as a strength yet. I think it is becoming solid. I think you can get away with that if you have other things going for you.

COACK IZZO: It has helped when you have a go-to kind of guy. And yet Duke I think definitely does in Redick. He makes big shots. Redick seems to be the guy. I am not sure Kentucky has the true go-to guy. I am not sure Michigan State has a true go-to guy. Utah does. We have gotten to a Final Four a couple of different ways, one with a star, one with a couple, and one with none. A lot of ways to skin a cat. In our case, try with some very, very good players but no true, true go-to guy right now. I think Kentucky is looking at it the same way.

COACH: I don't think they want them because they like playing them. I mean, Duke is Duke. But I think that you know, there have been so much said about this group. They have been under so much pressure compared to any other group that you know it would be one validating statement. Does it make their year? Not really. Maybe it gives them an opportunity to do something that no one else at Michigan State has done since '58. Maybe that is what they're looking at. Not like they are thinking we can beat Duke necessarily. I think they feel confident if they play, well, we have a good chance. Maybe to try to do something -- I have always been big on statements like leaving a footprint in the stand. I guess I never looked at the Duke game as that. That would seem like a fitting -- not ending, but a fitting part to their career.

COACH: My winning percentage, everybody makes a big deal that we are second. When you start to look at the numbers and -- and Mike and Tubby have been in a lot more NCAA tournaments. It is just kind of nice when you respect all the coaches. I know that sounds like a cliche statement. I think the coaches that are here, you have great respect for them on and off the court and what they have done for the game of basketball. Ray is just getting into it. I am on a lot of boards with Tubby and Mike. I know what they have done over the years. That is what I hope to do in the future. I think it is great to be in a regional where there are great coaches and the programs that are in it are thought of so well. That gives you fans, that gives you media, that gives me a chance to look next door and see what is going on. And I don't think we're in awe of that anymore. I understand in reality you do go through that in your growing stages. I think you are who you hang with. I like hanging with those guys. If I can be at the Sweet 16 with them, that is good.

COACH IZZO: Poloks, I guess. I don't know. You know what, I don't. I think I have heard him speak before that he has good mentors before him. Jud Heathcote was a great mentor. How you're brought up familywise, I have read his stories in Chicago and how he was brought up, and I think back to how I was. It really starts from day one. If you have read any of Tubby's stories, you know the same thing. Haven't had a chance to read Ray's story. I know the other two guys when I look back on their lives from day one it was kind of an underdogged work ethic type of guys. I consider myself in the same boat in that respect.

PAUL DAVIS: I feel a hundred percent. I could get used to it. I did check out the hotel pool last night. I am feeling good. As far as the game is concerned, Williams speaks for himself. One of the best big men in the country, both ends of the court. I think on offense we're going to try to go inside and try to get some foul trouble, and I think our biggest thing on defense with them is trying to have them catch the ball away from the basket and have them score over us.

ALAN ANDERSON: I was a Duke fan. I always like watching Grant Hill, guys like that. Now, I am with the Spartans.

CHRIS HILL: I was pretty much the same way, growing up in the early 90's I liked Duke especially because they had two players with my last name. I thought that was cool. I liked Duke.

PAUL DAVIS: I was different. I was a North Carolina fan. I grew up in a Michigan State house. I was North Carolina fan. I watched Duke and everybody in the tournament. It's kind of crazy that we're here playing them.

CHRIS HILL: I think it starts on the defensive end. We're checking better on the perimeter and inside. Obviously that is going to be the biggest key to the game is how well we can defend their perimeter players because they are so good. From that point in the season until now, I think we have taken steps to get better.

PAUL DAVIS: I think that helps. We might have leg up on some people in the tournament. They are seeing these teams for the first time. I think a plus for us is that we have seen them once. We did play them well. It was at their place. So that definitely gives us confidence.

CHRIS HILL: Definitely for myself. I think that is obviously something I have got to pick up. That is something the team needs me for. I look for that to happen. I don't think it is necessity that we shoot 50 percent from three or anything like that. Definitely helps when you knock down some three point shots. It will be big for us to contain them from the perimeter, clean up those rebounds and get our transition game going. We need to wear them down and keep attacking.

CHRIS HILL: I felt better today. I had two nights where I shot for a long time, tried get honed in and a little bit more one-on-one. One day I took off from shooting just to kind of clear the mind and get re-set a little bit. I am feeling better.

CHRIS HILL: About and hour and a half on top of practice and the shooting that we do.

ALAN ANDERSON: Like I said, we felt good. You know, we went there and played. We're just a lot better team. A couple of times they had some runs, we didn't capitalize off that. Like said, these last games we did a good job when we made turnovers we executed our play better. It just showed our maturity right now. Just another chance, you know. Like a revenge tour for us. Try to get back at everybody that got at us.

PAUL DAVIS: I think it will be a point of emphasis to do that. I think we need to use our depth. It helped us in the last game. When you watch the Duke team, they play six, seven days and, you know, they look kind of fresh at the end of the game. We are definitely going to use all the depth, all the players we've got. I think it will help to our advantage.

CHRIS HILL: No question that is the key. That is something. It falls on the shoulders of the perimeter players on our team to contain them as far as dribble penetration and contesting all their shots. They have too good of players that you can say you will stop them. We can. We have the ability to contain them. It will be a point of emphasis for the game.

ALAN ANDERSON: Beside getting the championship to be the best team, you have to beat the best team. We feel that Duke is one of those teams. It is always one of those Final Four elite teams. It is our chance. This is our last chance to put the footprint in the sand.

CHRIS HILL: I would agree with that. It is like you said, we have talked about that is an opportunity for this class and this team to do something that no other Michigan State team in the recent past has done. There is not a lot of things they didn't do. It is an opportunity for us.

CHRIS HILL: I think that he is maybe their best all around player. Because he does so much. I can definitely relate to him. He has run the point play lot, not being really a true point guard. He just makes plays for his team. If they need big shots, whether it is a three or getting to the basket, he finds way to get other guys open and makes guys around him better. I have respect for him and it will be important that we control him.

CHRIS HILL: It is important from the standpoint of they play so many minutes that being physical with them I think can help wear them down a little bit. You know, they are great players and they are going to leave it all out on the court, and so we don't look for that to be a huge edge. We have got to continue to stay with them at all times and challenge everything they do.