Tom Izzo didn’t sound interested in celebrating a 30-point win over Toledo on Thursday night. Michigan State got the result, but the Spartans’ coach came away focused on the parts that bothered him most: the pace, the physicality, the free throws and the overall edge he expects from a team being talked about as a preseason favorite for a deep postseason run.
“I was disappointed, and that takes nothing away from Toledo… I did feel they played hard and physical. I just don’t think we’re playing as hard or as physical. Too many dribble drives, too many guys going around guys.”
Izzo said the Spartans have been grinding on free throws constantly, but the numbers still didn’t match the work.
“The free throw shooting, we work on it morning, noon, and night. We shoot every night before the game.
We shoot 90-some percent every time. I don’t know what to say about that… There were times we were shooting better from the three-point line than we were from the free throw line.”
For Izzo, the issue goes beyond one off night. He made it clear he doesn’t want Michigan State drifting away from what he sees as the program’s identity.
“I don’t want to lose our DNA. I don’t want to lose who we are.
And who we are is toughness. We defend.
We rebound and run.”
He also acknowledged the way the game was being called, while making sure not to lean on it as an excuse.
“I really hate when the media makes excuses for me, because I don’t want to even have those for the players. But you’re probably right. It is hard to get into any kind of rhythm.”
Even with the criticism, Izzo singled out several players, starting with Jordan Scott, whose effort drew major praise.
On Jordan Scott: “I’ve got to go back a long, long time to get a guy who plays harder consistently… He goes so hard he almost burns himself out… You just have to say, ‘Wow, that kid works so damn hard. It’s scary.’ So I ain’t worried about Jordan Scott.”
Jeremy Fears got a different kind of message. Izzo said the guard is carrying the weight that comes with being highly ranked, and that he wants more from him.
On Jeremy Fears: “Welcome to pressure. With a rank comes a responsibility.
When you’re ranked high, there’s a responsibility to how you play… It wasn’t like he was bad. I just expect more.”
Izzo also pointed to Fears’ voice as a key part of what Michigan State needs.
On Fears as a leader: “His voice is so important on the floor. He calls out everything.
He’d be a hell of a linebacker for Fitz… It’s OK to get on a player. It’s legal, and he needs to do that.”
Coen Carr was another player Izzo said needs to give more.
On Coen Carr: “I think we’ve got to get a little more out of him and Coen.”
The bigger picture, though, was about the roster as a whole and how the pieces fit. Izzo said he likes the talent, but he’s still waiting for the group to consistently deliver.
“I still love the pieces to my team. I have not loved the performance from everyone yet, but I love the pieces, and they will determine their playing time more than I will. Some guys are playing themselves in and some guys are playing themselves out.”
He also drew a line between simply leading by example and the kind of leadership that actually pulls a team together.
“Leading by example is good for some people. Some coaches love it.
I don’t. I like what you said, meshing people together.
Can they bring people together? That, to me, separates the elite leaders and the just great ones.”
Izzo said the Spartans are still working through the frontcourt mix, too. Jesse and Ethan both earned positive reviews, but the coach said the rotation is far from settled.
“I think we’ve got to figure out our rotation with our bigs. Jesse, we didn’t want to play him too much… He played pretty well, and Ethan played pretty well. So that was encouraging.”
Michigan State is still using a deep group, but Izzo made it clear that won’t last forever.
“We’re still playing 11 or 12 guys, and that’s probably not going to happen.”
“I still don’t know exactly what our rotation will be, but I’m getting a clearer picture.”
And for Izzo, the standard is simple: every player has to do the job he’s supposed to do, or the consequences show up fast against better competition.
“You can’t have a rotation where you’re playing somebody and they’re not doing their job, because against good teams, those could be eight-point swings right off the bat.”
“I need my best players to play their best and the role players to play their roles.”
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In the early going, Michigan State has already been forced to adjust its rotation, with injuries to Jesse McCulloch and Cam Ward opening the door for a new starting five. Jeremy Fears Jr., Jasiah Jervis, Jordan Scott, Coen Carr and Anton Bonke have been the group getting the first crack, and the early returns have been encouraging enough to make this more than a temporary patch.
What stands out is how the lineup has reshuffled roles as much as names. Carr has slid to power forward, Jervis has earned a starting spot, and the overall efficiency has given the staff something real to study as the schedule moves on. The Spartans are expected to keep evaluating the group in the coming games, and if the fit keeps holding, Izzo may have to rethink the rotation sooner rather than later. [Read more 🡒]
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That leaves Michigan State in a difficult spot against a Michigan team that is favored largely because of its defense and better overall health. The game should still have the edge and tension that comes with this rivalry, but the Spartans need a cleaner offensive performance than they have been able to produce recently if they want to avoid letting Michigan's defense dictate the night. [Read more 🡒]