What Tom Izzo said about Michigan before rivalry showdown
Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo was overly complimentary of Michigan ahead of the last meeting between the two Big Ten foes back in January, and the head man praised U-M again before Tuesday night’s showdown.
Michigan is without its own head coach, Juwan Howard, for the rest of the regular season due to a suspension. Izzo has been suspended for a recruiting violation and has gone through other controversy himself, having been implicated in a coverup of sexual misconduct, so he feels for his rival.
“The last couple weeks have been a little bit tougher going for them, as far as all the outside noise,” Izzo said Monday. “But I don’t wish anything on anybody anymore after what I’ve been through here. I think Michigan has done a great job of bouncing back from the Wisconsin loss, beating a very good Rutgers team at home — and that was without [freshman forward Moussa] Diabate.”
RELATED
• Four potential ‘outliers’ that could lift Michigan basketball this March
• Michigan basketball needs to be better in two big areas to beat MSU
Michigan’s big men had big games against the Spartans the first time around. Diabate went for 11 points and nine rebounds, while sophomore center Hunter Dickinson posted a game-high 25 points. The Spartans refused to double-team the post and instead stayed home on shooters on the outside, and the strategy paid off. Michigan, which shot 3-of-19 from beyond the arc, scored just 67 points and 0.96 points per possession, one of just four times the Wolverines have failed to eclipse one PPP during Big Ten play.
“It’s another challenge for us,” Izzo said. “Dickinson just seems like another one of those great post players in this league. He presents different problems than the last two we played. He’s just as big in some ways, but a way better offensive weapon as far as a guy who can shoot it on the perimeter or inside. Diabate has improved from the first time we played him.”
The Michigan backcourt also drew rave reviews from Izzo. Fifth-year senior guard DeVante’ Jones has improved mightily, having just gone for 25 points and 10 assists against Illinois, and fifth-year senior backcourt mate Eli Brooks is as steady as they come.
“[DeVante’ Jones] has definitely improved and is playing better,” Izzo said. “He’s rebounding the ball — he’s getting 7.5 rebounds per game as a point guard the last five, six games.
“And yet, you put all those guys together, and I still think the straw that stirs the drink is Brooks. He’s been there forever. Love him as a player. He plays 38 minutes a game in the last five games. He can beat you with threes, he’s a tremendous defender and has tremendous, to me, basketball I.Q.
Top 10
- 1New
Notre Dame DC search
New name emerges
- 2Hot
South Carolina suspension
Flau'Jae Johnson incident results in punishment
- 3
AP Poll Projection
Big shakeup coming to Top 25
- 4
Vanderbilt fined
SEC levies $500k fine
- 5
Jim Knowles
Ohio State DC is on the move
Get the On3 Top 10 to your inbox every morning
By clicking "Subscribe to Newsletter", I agree to On3's Privacy Notice, Terms, and use of my personal information described therein.
“It’s a very good team; it’s a very talented team that has gone through the same things that the reset of the league and the rest of the country has gone to — some ups and downs, trying to find consistency.”
Michigan and MSU are actually preparing for each other for the third time. The two squads were supposed to meet in early January, but the game was postponed since Michigan did not meet the Big Ten’s minimum amount of players and staffers due to illnesses.
Each time Izzo has scouted Michigan, he’s noticed differences — mostly positive ones for the Maize and Blue.
“It is different,” Izzo said of the scout. “I think they’ve got a couple players playing differently — their point guard and power forwards are playing a little differently. Even when you look at [freshman wing Caleb] Houstan, he’s had his nights where he’s shot the ball really well. He was really struggling early on there.
“So it’s a little different prep. Everybody throws in some wrinkles, but for the most part, it’s the same players. They’ve made some adjustments, we’ve made some adjustments.”
Izzo said that while the Big Ten title isn’t on the line, he wants his Michigan State team to play as if it is. Tip-off at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor is set for 8:30 p.m. ET on Fox Sports 1.
