Tom Izzo previews Michigan State's upcoming rivalry game vs. Michigan
Michigan State got the win it desperately needed.
Over the weekend, the Spartans grinded out a 68-65 win over No. 4 Purdue, ending a 3-game losing streak and putting a temporary halt on a trend in which they lost 5 of their last 6 contest. A Tyson Walker triple with less than 2 seconds to play might’ve been the spark the team needed.
Now, with 3 games remaining, Michigan State is looking to close out on a strong note as it prepares for the B1G Tournament and March Madness. It all starts Tuesday, when the Spartans travel to Ann Arbor to take on rival Michigan.
Tom Izzo’s team had no trouble with the Wolverines in the first meeting in East Lansing. MSU cruised to an 83-67 victory over UM. But given the recent struggles, the second game is anything but a guarantee for Michigan State.
Monday, Izzo met with reporters to talk about Saturday’s thrilling win over Purdue and the upcoming trip to Ann Arbor. Here’s what the head coach had to say:
Izzo: "If you can't prep for your rival, then who can you prep for?"
— Chris Solari (@chrissolari) February 28, 2022
Izzo: "I want to see the same thing I'd want to see if the Big Ten (title) was on the line. For the most part, I want to see improvement from my team." Particularly more emotion and effort, getting to the FT line more often to maximize MSU's ability there, rebounding better, too.
— Chris Solari (@chrissolari) February 28, 2022
Izzo says MSU will head to Ann Arbor today for Tuesday's game.
— Chris Solari (@chrissolari) February 28, 2022
Izzo: "I'm sure this has been hard on Juwan. I don't wish that on anybody, I really don't."
— Chris Solari (@chrissolari) February 28, 2022
Izzo says he and Phil Martelli have served on some college hoops boards together over the years. "Phil's a very principled guy. He's got great experience. He's a good coach, a good guy and does it the right way."
— Chris Solari (@chrissolari) February 28, 2022
Izzo: "It's a very good team, a very talented team" that has gone through the ups and downs like MSU, the rest of the Big Ten and college hoops.
— Chris Solari (@chrissolari) February 28, 2022
MSU coach Tom Izzo said he was "pleased by the things we did to win" against Purdue. Better shooting and "effort-related things" helped lead into the three-game week that starts Tuesday at Michigan. "It's gonna be an incredible week."
— Chris Solari (@chrissolari) February 28, 2022
