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BIG TEN CONFERENCE MEDIA DAYS (MEN)

October 28, 2010

Tom Izzo

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS

THE MODERATOR: Up next on the podium is Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo.
COACH IZZO: Good to be back. I hope everybody likes this format where we have mid weeks, seems like we have a great turnout. I'm excited for it. It's a great year for it. Because I think the Big Ten is going to be maybe as good as it has been in a lot of years since I've been here, from top to bottom.
And our team, I think, is very good. I think we have some key players back. I think we've had an incredible rash of injuries since last spring through the summer, and that's probably our biggest dilemma right now, is really getting a feel for our team and trying to get them ready in a short period of time.
We're healthy now but not to the speed we need to be, and yet I think working hard to get there.
So I'm excited for a great year. We have a great non-conference schedule and I think the conference schedule, like I said, is as good as it's been maybe in all 20 some years I've been in the Big Ten.
THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. A lot of talk about the July evaluation period, some suggestions about changing it, eliminating it, something like that. What are your thoughts and what would you like to see?
COACH IZZO: Well, you know, it's very difficult as president of our association this year. You know, you deal with a lot of different people. Being a Division II guy at heart and a lower Division I guy for a little bit and then be at the top level, I think you can't forget about the different types of people and programs that are out there.
And you know I'm not crazy about the length of time of it. I think a lot of coaches last year felt it was a little long. What I worry most about is the players. I mean, as coaches, I've done the same thing for 27 years here as far as being out every day of the summer. It's never changed.
But I think players are starting to wear down a little bit. I worry that some of that is injuries later on. But I also worry about the smaller schools who have maybe more financial issues and trying to get 347 people or teams or schools, whatever it is, 343, 347, on the same page is maybe a lot more difficult than the BCS situation that football has.
So we're exploring things, we're talking about them. We talked about them as a league last night. And I'm not sure we'll ever find an exact way to do it that benefits everybody. And so we're continuing to work on, not only in the NABC, but also each conference is continuing to work on ways to make it better.
And right now I can see a lot of people wanting to cut it back a little bit but not eliminate it.

Q. A follow-up to that question. If not for the financial issues that the smaller schools have, would you want to see it cut back dramatically because of what you said about the players wearing down?
COACH IZZO: Well, I think there's a combination of things. Players wearing down. Coaches. You know, we don't get a lot of downtime. And the summer is one time you get down. And that's an issue.
I've always been a little bit of a believer that as long as it's the same for everyone, at the end we're going to get the same players we've got, we just find different ways.
Football over the years has used film a lot more. I think you talk to more coaches during the year. There's ways to get it done. But I'm also a little different in the last two or three years than I was that whatever's best for everybody I would definitely vote for and pull for. And I don't think that's a politician's answer, I just think I have a greater appreciation when you see the passion of people talking about it on what they think they need.
So recruiting's the hardest part of our job. I think everybody would agree to that. When you go all year long and you get a little bit of time and maybe the nicest time of the year you're gone almost the entire month, I think that makes it difficult.
So partly coaches and recharging, but a lot of players. I don't think we're looking at that angle. Everybody says they'll continue to play. But, boy, if you had a son right now or a daughter and they're gone, which seems to be like two months of the summer for all these different camps and I think feel obligated to be at them, and so consequently the wear-down factor.
I'd like to see a study on whether it's affecting our kids when they get in college, on not only the energy level and the passion for the game, that we wear it out too early like I think sometimes some sports do, hockey and they're playing when they're four years old.
That's the questions I have. And we're going to try to get answered at the meetings we go to and listening to all the coaches around the country and maybe even some of you.
I think everybody's looking to do what's best, and that's what we're looking to do.

Q. How important is your team's depth to the overall success this season?
COACH IZZO: Well, I think depth and versatility have been the two keys to 90 percent of the teams I've coached that have gone to the Final Fours.
I think if you have depth, you overcome injuries. Last year's was almost -- we got lucky. There's no question that when Lucas went down and then Kansas gets upset. Northern Iowa is very good, but Kansas got upset.
Sometimes you gotta be a little lucky in that NCAA Tournament to make a run, too. But our depth did help us, and I think we've got more depth this year, and I think that's going to be a plus.
And I think we have more versatility where we can play big, play small. When you get in the NCAA Tournament, it's like anything in any sport. Some people match up different with different people.
And when you have the most flexibility to match up with anybody you can run into, it reminds me of the year we won it. We played Wisconsin to a 54-49 game and two days later it was a 90-to-70-some game against Florida.
And I think that's one of the things that has helped our team. We've had depth and we've had versatility. And, yet, we make a concerted effort that even if we don't have the players to add depth, we play them and sometimes lose some games early, but it benefits us in the end.

Q. How much will a freshman like Keith Appling play a role in what you want to do in the back court considering Korie Lucious and Kalin Lucas, et cetera?
COACH IZZO: That's a good question, because when we recruited Keith we thought he would definitely be a big part of that role of depth. And then all of a sudden we lose Chris Allen this summer and he had to step up another notch, and then with Kalin's injury and then Korie had the meniscus tear about a month ago, I mean, his role has escalated, I think, and I think he's a tough enough kid to handle it.
And Adreian Payne is another one. We did lose Russell Byrd probably for the year with a stress fracture that did not heal and had to get reoperated on.
So our depth at the guard position, which has normally been our strength or at the wing position is lacking a little bit. Keith will be a very important part to make sure that we have enough at position in the 1, 2, 3, where we rotate guys pretty frequently.
THE MODERATOR: Thank you, Coach.

End of FastScripts

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