As Tom Izzo works with his players to prepare for their penultimate game of the 2024 calendar year, he knows that any honest person who watches this Saturday’s matchup between Florida Atlantic and Michigan State will be impressed by the visitors.
“They’re good,” Izzo said Thursday, after practice. “They go 7-foot, 6-11 across the front and they’re both really good players. The 6-11 kid is talented, he can shoot threes, he can handle the ball. It will be our toughest matchup at the four (position) that we’ve had this year, I think. Their guards are good. They have six guys who shoot over 35% from the three. They have depth, they have size, they can play big or small, and they’ve got a number of shooters. (Jaxon Kohler) is getting better (defensively) but him and (Xavier) Booker are going to have their work cut out here.”
According to Izzo, the Spartans’ practice wasn’t the best on Thursday; in fact, Izzo said he was grateful they have another practice on Friday to prepare for the Owls.
“There’s two major negatives – we’re a little disappointed in our gap and off-the-ball defense and we’re a little disappointed in our turnovers,” Izzo said. “It’s not that (the turnovers are) an enormous number, but they’re a foolish number. We had eight or nine the first half the other night. So that’s been a point of concern, interest, and anger. Falling asleep on the weak side and that. We have to do a better job of that and hopefully we will.”
Izzo also acknowledges that most of his players are making progress and it’s nice to see it on the court.
“(Xavier Booker) is going to be a very good player” Izzo said. “He’s had four really good games in a row, doing the things that we talked about he wasn’t doing – guarding a little better, getting offensive rebounds, running harder, his defense keeps growing, he even blocked a couple shots.”
Izzo likes the fact that Booker is in a good place.
“He’s getting better, he’s practicing better, he’s seeing it better, he’s talking about it more,” continued Izzo about Booker. “I love Book. I love the fact that he’s hung in there. It is a case of the process – he’s growing. He wasn’t quite ready for everything at the beginning. 95% of the guys (around the country) are in the same boat, but yet he’s withstood it. He didn’t run and hide, he didn’t transfer because he wasn’t happy. He sat here and worked, he gained twenty-some pounds, he got stronger.”
Booker sent Izzo texts recently with the goal of making sure that Izzo doesn’t let up on him.
“(He said) ‘don’t baby me, keep pushing me,’” Izzo said about the texts from Booker. “Those guys (like Booker) end up your favorite guys once they have success and they leave (MSU) because you realize what they’ve been through. I like the path he’s on, I like the progress he’s made, and I like the approach he’s taking.”
Izzo can’t help himself though.
“I will always want more sense of urgency, a little more body language excitement,” he said about Booker. “Defensively, he has some things to tighten up – getting up on ball screens.”
As a whole, though, Izzo likes the fact that his team takes responsibility for their mistakes now, realizing that his team members are all in this together.
“Early on, it was ‘don’t admit any mistakes’ because that’s the way everybody is raised these days,” opined Izzo. “I think this team realizes now it doesn’t matter, (instead it’s) do I get better?”
Speaking of getting better – Carson Cooper is going to be an important piece for Michigan State vs Florida Atlantic.
“I think the mask really bothered him, either consciously, or subconsciously, or visually,” said Izzo. “We’re going to try to (have Cooper) play without the mask now. This is a good matchup for him because those guys (from Florida Atlantic) can put (the ball) on the floor – Coop is our best guy being able to move his feet out there (and guard them).”
What does Izzo want to get out of the Florida Atlantic game on Saturday and the Western Michigan game on December 30th?
“I’d like to just win these next two games,” said Izzo. “(Florida Atlantic is) going to come up here excited, big game for them. What are we going to be? Are we going to be thinking about Santa Claus, Christmas, and making sure your girlfriend’s got a good gift? Or are we going to come here, play basketball, and then really get to go and celebrate Christmas? That’s what I’m looking forward to.”
Izzo said, generally speaking that he’s pleased with the way everybody is improving but he wishes a couple guys would play a little bit better.
“That’s how your team get’s better,” he said.
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Someone who is still trying to get his game back to the level he wants it to be at is Jeremy Fears.
“(Fears has) got some toughness, he’s got a little energy,” said Izzo. “I’m waiting for him to take on Mateen (Cleaves)’ identity a little bit. Jeremy is improving. I still say Jeremy is trying to find himself. You take that long off, eight, nine months – he’s still trying to find himself. I understand that and I’m cool with it because I think he’s done enough good things. Like today, you finally see him go up and dunk one. There’s some things – either consciously or subconsciously – that’s taken awhile.”
For his part, Fears acknowledges that his team is off to a good start but that their goals are still in front of them.
“We still got team goals,” Fears said. “Obviously, we want to win the Big Ten and be one of the top teams in the country. Right now, we haven’t really done anything in our eyes. We still have a chip on our shoulders, still (have) to go out and play and compete every day. We still have goals we are trying to reach.”
Fears says he is happy and thankful to be playing basketball at this time.
“A year ago, I was in a different situation,” he said, talking about the gunshot injury from last Christmas break. “Still being able to do something I love, play basketball, 9-2 (overall record) right now, trying to finish off the year strong, (with an) 11-2 (record), with my brothers. We’re winning games, we’re having fun. Just happy to be here, honestly.”
Fears maintains that this team hasn’t done anything worthy of celebrating yet.
“No one on this team has a Big Ten Championship, an Elite Eight or Final Four appearance,” he said. “(Those are) our goals and dreams. We have to come and bring it every day. Every day we have to come in and compete, go hard, and win. Those are our goals.”
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