Tom Izzo
Tom Izzo
Thomas Michael Izzois an American college basketball coach. Since 1995, he has been the head coach for the Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team, presiding over a prolonged period of success. On April 4, 2016, Izzo was elected to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame...
ProfessionCoach
Date of Birth30 January 1955
CityIron Mountain, MI
becoming control game growing means player speaks special thrives took volumes
He kind of thrives on pressure, he kind of thrives on big moments. He took control of the game, under control. And that speaks volumes of a player when he can take control of game and do it under control. I think that means the guy's really growing up and becoming a special player.
adjusting coaching excuses game good guys job situations team tired whether
I can't make any excuses up. As a coaching staff, we have not done a good enough job of adjusting to the things we need to adjust to, whether it be the schedule, whether it be an injury, whether it be end-of-the game situations with guys tired or not tired. We've got to find a way to do a better job, because we're a good enough team to get it done.
four games win
You can't win four games because of luck.
couple four games gonna illinois last lost playing promise ready
You know me, I don't feel like we're ready, but I do think we can get ready in four days. Illinois is playing awfully well, they haven't lost many games in the last couple years, but we're gonna be ready on Thursday, I can promise you that.
everybody games good iowa league lost moments
They've had moments when they've been real good and not as good, and so have we. They still have some vulnerability just like everybody in this league does. It was just two games ago that Iowa lost to Northwestern.
begin brought coming covered felt games guard guards guy guys loss maybe people physical team versatile
It's a big loss for us, especially in the games we had coming up, because we felt he was a guy who could have covered a lot of people on the perimeter or inside. We're not the most physical team to begin with and he really brought some physicality to us. But maybe more importantly, I think he's a versatile guy who can guard guards on the perimeter, and he can guard big guys inside. We just don't have many guys who are able to do that.
biggest capable career coach few games good head lack last ncaa perform performance played season
I think it was the biggest disappointment of all the NCAA games we played in. We didn't have the season we wanted to have. We didn't perform to what I think our capabilities were. I think this is one of the few times in my career here as a head coach that we didn't get done what I think we were capable of getting done, culminating with the lack of a very good performance on that last night.
bounce game happy means
I am happy to see him bounce back. This game (basketball) means so much to him. I don't know many players, seriously, that this game means more to than Maurice Ager.
depends game indicative maybe realize score
I don't think the score here was maybe indicative of how the game went. I think we all realize we're all pretty even. It just depends on who comes to play.
davis game honest paul proud second vowed
I look at the stats and kind of see a different game than I watched. I didn't really like the game I watched, to be honest with you. But the stats say we did some things well. And I was very proud of Maurice Ager and Paul Davis at halftime. They vowed we'd be better defensively in the second half, and we were.
false games
I think it's really important, for two reasons. No. 1, for the games themselves, and No. 2, so that we don't get a false sense of where we are.
basketball best close couple game maybe perfect
That was our best basketball game in maybe a couple years. This was close to a perfect game.
affects confidence crowd games home road teams win
If you look at our home and road stats, they're enormously different. Most teams are different, but not enormously different. You get in a little slump, and you don't get the confidence of the home crowd and the home baskets and the home bed. Yeah, I think it affects you a little bit. I really, really do. But I also think you got to be big enough to win some of these games on the road.
game major rough senior start win
It's kind of apropos for the year. It was a rough start and it will be a rough ending. At the same time, if you can win a game and you've got Senior Day, I don't see it being a major factor.