It was Michigan State basketball head coach Tom Izzo’s turn to speak at Big Ten media day ahead of the 2022-23 basketball season, his 28th as the head man in East Lansing.
Michigan State is a team with a lot of questions heading into the season, and the Spartans will look to answer some of those during the gauntlet of a non-conference schedule they are about to play.
Izzo took the podium Thursday to address the state of his team as the season is set to begin:
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MSU basketball media day underway at Breslin. Tom Izzo at the podium. Spartans face Tennessee on Sunday in a closed scrimmage in Knoxville. "I think that's gonna be good for us."
— Chris Solari (@chrissolari) October 20, 2022
Izzo says MSU has had "a couple good weeks of practice" in which "I've felt my team started to look like a team."
— Chris Solari (@chrissolari) October 20, 2022
Izzo's media day presser underway. Said Jaden Akins probably has another couple of weeks out with his foot injury but says he's making progress.
— Kyle Austin (@kylebaustin) October 20, 2022
Izzo on the early schedule: "We're not going to get guys a chance to to breathe. We're not going to get a lot of chance for a lot of mistakes. I'm not going to get a lot of chance to develop our young guys as much except under fire. The advantage is, we'll see where we are."
— Chris Solari (@chrissolari) October 20, 2022
Izzo continues to call freshman C Carson Cooper "a diamond in the rough."
— Chris Solari (@chrissolari) October 20, 2022
Izzo said Jaxon Kohler had a slow start to the preseason but has had a strong last two weeks
— Kyle Austin (@kylebaustin) October 20, 2022
Izzo on F Joey Hauser, says the COVID restrictions the past two years affected him. "But since the day he decided to come back for that extra year, he's been really, really good."
— Chris Solari (@chrissolari) October 20, 2022
Izzo says G/F Pierre Brooks II has continued the sharp shooting he showed this summer during the Moneyball Pro-Am. "He can put it in the basket. The key is, can he guard it and can he rebound it?"
— Chris Solari (@chrissolari) October 20, 2022
Izzo says G Tyson Walker has "made some great progress." Former Northeastern transfer feeling more comfortable at MSU, shooting and defending well right now. "He's just kind of matured and grown."
— Chris Solari (@chrissolari) October 20, 2022
Izzo says AJ Hoggard has made "tremendous progress. But as I told him this morning, he's still got progress to go." Coach being demanding of his PG to bring the most out of his game.
— Chris Solari (@chrissolari) October 20, 2022
Izzo said the leadership dynamic with AJ Hoggard is improving but still not where he wants it. Said he's got a different personality than previous point guards. "He's cocky enough to be great, and cocky enough to be sometimes detrimental."
— Stephen Brooks (@StephenM_Brooks) October 20, 2022
Izzo says Sissoko "has really kind of developed. He's not there yet, but he's making progress." Said the junior C made 9 of 10 shots during a charted scrimmage Wednesday.
— Chris Solari (@chrissolari) October 20, 2022
Izzo on the portal: "We're trying to keep this program in the postion that culture matters, so I don't want to go all over the map right now. Will I change? Maybe." Adds that it affects chemistry and that most everyone in the country is learning about the portal as it goes.
— Chris Solari (@chrissolari) October 20, 2022
Izzo on portal, continued: "Tempted? You're always tempted." Points to giving the players he brought in as recruits their opportunities first and foremost.
— Chris Solari (@chrissolari) October 20, 2022
Izzo points to if he would have brought in a fifth-year transfer to replace sophomore-to-junior year Denzel Valentine, Draymond Green or Xavier Tillman. "Sticking with your people, and then they improve" is something he fears might be shifting in college hoops.
— Chris Solari (@chrissolari) October 20, 2022
Izzo on potential NCAA Tournament expansion: "If they expand, I'm happy. If they don't expand, I'm OK with it. I just don't know where anything ends."
— Kyle Austin (@kylebaustin) October 20, 2022
Izzo says he doesn't think President Joe Biden will attend the MSU-Gonzaga game for the Armed Forces Classic in San Diego on the USS Abraham Lincoln on Nov. 11.
— Chris Solari (@chrissolari) October 20, 2022
Izzo just said next year he’s going to try to play an exhibition game at NMU in Marquette. Not sure he’s serious on the timing but I’m betting that game happens at some point.
— Graham Couch (@Graham_Couch) October 20, 2022
