Tonight was an important one for Michigan State basketball, as the Spartans had one last tune-up game before conference play starts next week against Wisconsin. MSU did their job on Tuesday night, beating Georgia Southern by 31 points, and now Izzo will get the chance to reflect on some mixed results from the opening of the season and figure out a way forward.
Izzo shared some of those thoughts after the win in his typical press conference, and you can find the best quotes from that below.
Izzo liked his team defensively in the first half
MSU coach Tom Izzo said he liked his team defensively in the first half but made mistakes offensively. Points to four 3-pointers late in the game allowed. "It wasn't the subs either, it was some of our guys."
— Chris Solari (@chrissolari) November 29, 2023
Izzo on Tyson Walker
Izzo says Tyson Walker "wasn't back to normal" but played better than against Arizona.
— Chris Solari (@chrissolari) November 29, 2023
Izzo: 'Some of the freshmen aren't ready to play'
Izzo: "The biggest thing is now, that playing group is gonna shrink. Nobody's fault, just some of the freshmen aren't ready to play. And they're gonna have to either get ready in a week, or we're going to start shrinking it down. Because that does create some of our problems." https://t.co/oHIuPb82le
— Chris Solari (@chrissolari) November 29, 2023
Izzo on Hoggard
Izzo says he's trying everything to get A.J. Hoggard to play better, from pampering to yelling. "It's my job to help him succeed." Says his senior PG was better in the second half "until he got a little lazy," but points to the rest of the Spartans doing the same late in the win.
— Chris Solari (@chrissolari) November 29, 2023
Izzo on Hoggard: "I think he's a hell of a player. He's gotta play a lot better than he has been. And I think he can." Says MSU won't reach its peak performance without Hoggard doing the same.
— Chris Solari (@chrissolari) November 29, 2023
Izzo on Jaden Akins
Izzo says Jaden Akins is playing better, but he still believes his junior G is better than he's been playing.
— Chris Solari (@chrissolari) November 29, 2023
Izzo on Jeremy Fears Jr.
Izzo was "very pleased" with Jeremy Fears Jr. "He competed. He took good shots that he can make right now. He guarded until the end."
— Chris Solari (@chrissolari) November 29, 2023
Izzo on Coen Carr
Izzo says Coen Carr has been playing fairly well but needs to work on using his strength and defend better, particularly on the perimeter.
— Chris Solari (@chrissolari) November 29, 2023
