Tom Izzo, After MSU's Senior Night Win: 'I do think we have a run in us'

Ever year, senior night at the Breslin Center is special for the Michigan State men's basketball team. Every season the circumstances and emotions vary.

"I've had games, as I told (the players), where we played for championships on senior night," Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo explained following the victory over Northwestern. "I've had games that we've played just to get into the (NCAA) Tournament on senior night. I had times we played just for the pride of senior night my first two years here. Its emotions are different."

When Izzo stepped up to the podium on Wednesday night, the primary emotion that seemed to bubble to the surface was relief.

"Senior day is hard," Izzo said. "I don't think I could ever explain to you how hard it is to spend the amount of time we spend with our guys and then try to coach them in a tough game and to pray to God that they get to enjoy their senior night and the memories that senior nights bring because most of the time that lasts a lifetime."

The Michigan State Spartans eked out a win against the short-handed Northwestern Wildcats, 53-49. Unlike many senior nights in years past, there was no joyous parade to scorer's table in the final seconds of the game.

Izzo did not get a chance to substitute in the walk-ons while the seniors enjoyed a curtain call and kissed the Spartan logo at mid-court one-by-one. All of those festivities had to wait until after the game.

Instead, the Spartans had to defend against a possible game-winning shot from Northwestern in the final 10 seconds. Michigan State guard Tre Holloman had to ice the game with a pair of free throws a few seconds later.

Izzo described the game as both a "rock fight" and a "root canal," but at the end of the night it was still a win and the Spartans got to celebrate.

Coach Izzo took time in the postgame press conference to thank the fans in the Breslin Center crowd for their continued support after the final game and for the entire season.

"(Senior night) gives our fans a chance to really appreciate our players and it gives our players a chance to really appreciate our fans," Izzo explained. "I was overwhelmed by the number (of fans) that stayed on a weekday game ... There's been years where (the Breslin Center crowd) won us games, and this year they won us more than a share of games."

Izzo also thanked the support staff for putting together the senior night ceremony after the game.

"Our people did a such an incredible job with the whole event," Izzo said. "We sure as hell can't shoot it here, but we can put on a senior night, and it's as good as it gets."

About that shooting...

For the fourth game in a row, the Spartans struggled to put the ball into the basket, especially from inside the arc. Michigan State has not shot above 45% from 2-point distance since the win at Michigan on Feb. 17. The Spartans did not break 60 points in either of the two final games at Breslin Center this year.

Izzo is confused by the current slump.

"It was night when we just couldn't make a shot," Izzo said. "I don't know why we're not shooting the ball well, because I think I got enough good shooters. We've just been struggling with it.

"For some ungodly reason, we just we haven't been what I think we can be. I keep looking in the mirror and asking myself (why that is). (This week) we had two great practices (and we) shot the ball really well yesterday."

Izzo thought that nerves might have affected the way his team shot the ball, especially early in the game. The Spartans also gave up a quick 3-pointer followed by a "turnover for a touchdown," in the opening seconds of the contest.

This seemed to set the tone for the first 20 minutes of the game. Izzo felt that it led to some stagnation on offense that did not get corrected until halftime. At the same time, the Spartans had plenty of opportunities both behind the arc and at the rim. They simply failed to cash in on them far too often.

"I didn't like the way we moved the ball," Izzo said,. "We've got some work to do (on offense). It's just tweaks. It's just a matter of moving and a matter of reversing the ball a little bit more. But we had enough open shots, guys, that's what's so frustrating as a coach when you have that many open shots, you expect to make more than we made."

Despite the shooting slump and the fact that it took until March 6 for Michigan State to reach 10 conference wins, there are some signs of hope that brighter days are still ahead for this group of Spartans.

"I'm just dumb enough," Izzo said. "I still think we have some game left. I think there's things we can do."

For those paying close attention, there have been signs of subtle improvement over the past few weeks, despite the accumulation of some puzzling losses. Izzo pointed out several encouraging signs in the postgame press conference.

Izzo commented that his team showed grit on Wednesday night in securing the win late despite being ice-cold from the field. Izzo was also pleased with his team's work on the glass, which has been a weak point for this squad all year.

"One thing we did is that we rebounded," Izzo said. "I mean, Malik (Hall) was a man child himself."

Graduate senior forward Malik Hall posted a total of 17 rebounds, 10 of which came on the offensive glass. Both of those numbers are career-highs. He also added 15 points.

"That was a man's night for him," Izzo continued about Hall. "I've never seen him go like that. That was an Andre Hudson/Zach Randolph night where he just was going to go get the ball no matter where it was."

Hall has not been doing it alone either. Michigan State's guards have stepped up their rebounding efforts in the past few games as well. Tyson Walker, A.J. Hoggard and Holloman all grabbed at least four rebounds against the Wildcats.

Izzo was pleased with his team's consistent defensive effort, despite the cold shooting.

"(When) you don't make shots like that, it's hard to keep playing defense," Izzo said. "So there's another thing I learned. We can keep playing defense, even when the shots are not falling.

Izzo was also pleased with the way his team responded in the locker room after a tough first half in a game where the emotional stakes were high.

"Players got on players (in the locker room). which was another place we grew," Izzo noted.

He went on to explain there was not a huge shouting match in the locker room, but that his players were simply holding each other accountable. Izzo relayed that one of his players simply said:

"Guys, is this is the memory you want to make?"

Finally, Izzo mentioned that Walker is getting much closer to being fully healthy as the season reaches its end. Izzo admitted that the groin injury that has hampered Walker over the past month or so "was a little more (serious) than I thought it was."

Over the past two years, Spartan fans have often witnessed Walker going "beast mode" and simply taking over the game at key junctures. That version of him appeared to be absent over the past month. But over the past two games, we have seen glimpses of the old Tyson Walker.

On Wednesday night, Walker repeatedly got to the rim in the final 10 minutes of the game. Five of the Spartans' final six baskets were Walker layups. He also eclipsed the 2,000-point mark for his career on Wednesday night, combined between his time at Northeastern and Michigan State. A fully healthy Tyson Walker makes the Spartans a much more dangerous team in March.

The Spartans are currently in a deep shooting funk, but there is no reason to believe that this will continue. There is a solid chance the Spartans can break out of this slump and can build on the improving rebounding, grit, and leadership displayed in the past few weeks.

If these factors can be combined with a healthy Walker and continued ball security, all of a sudden this Michigan State team might once again approach the ceiling that has been there since the beginning of the season.

"I do think we have a run in us," Izzo said. "I hope everybody challenges me on that and I don't blame them. If I was watching the game (tonight), I might ask if I was on dial-a-clue or something for believing in this but I do believe in it.

"(Tonight we showed that) we can win ugly. I won a lot of games back in the championship year (that were) ugly. I just would have liked to have won a little prettier tonight, you know. But a win is a win. We got the win and we move on."

Coach Izzo and the Spartans will move on to Bloomington, Indiana on Sunday afternoon for MSU's final game of the 2023-2024 regular season against the surging Indiana Hoosiers. After that, the Spartans will open Big Ten Tournament on Thursday as anything from the No. 5 seed to the No. 8 seed.

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