Tom Izzo still feeling optimistic about MSU heading into postseason play

An 18-13 overall record in the regular season, while also only winning half of its conference games, is not what most fans had in mind for the 2023-2024 season for the Michigan State men's basketball squad — a team that was ranked No. 4 in the country in the preseason polls. It is certainly not what head coach Tom Izzo and the Spartan players and in mind, either.

Luckily for the Spartans, who have lost four of their last five games in a season full of highs and lows, they have a chance to write the final chapters on the season yet with postseason play beginning this week, starting with a matchup against Minnesota on Thursday in the Big Ten Tournament in Minneapolis in the No. 8 seed versus No. 9 seed game.

Izzo met with the media on Tuesday to quickly recap last Sunday's 65-64 defeat against the Indiana Hoosiers, while also looking ahead to the Big Ten Tournament.

Concerning the Spartans' latest heartbreaking defeat, Izzo said he was pleased with his team's will to fight back in the game after digging out of an early deficit, but acknowledged the need to play at a high level on a more consistent basis.

Izzo did credit Indiana's Kel'el Ware for making numerous contested shots on plays he thought MSU guarded pretty well.

Reflecting on the season as a whole, Izzo explained how he believes his team has deserved some of the results they have gotten in terms of the record, but is still optimistic about the group's chances heading into postseason play with a belief they can play their best basketball moving forward.

"Even though we're not happy with the finish, it's a new season," Izzo said about postseason play. "That's the one advantage that we have in basketball. We get a conference tournament and hopefully beyond. So, how we finished, it wasn't exactly how I wanted to, but when I look back at how we played in most games, how these one or two points makes a difference in the outcome — I'm still very optimistic about where we can go. I still believe in the group."

Izzo also mentioned his team's tough schedule and believes his Spartans are battle-tested going into the postseason, but acknowledged they will have to play more consistently and take a step forward to get better results.

"We just need to play a little better," Izzo said. "There's no question about it. We need to have a group of guys play better, we can't have poor shooting nights and we can't miss free throws. Those have been some of the culprits on maybe what's happened. So, that's what we're going to work on."

Izzo also made it clear that the way the 2023-2024 season went was not up to par, and mentioned that "nobody is more upset" about the results than he is.

Looking ahead to Minnesota specifically, a team the Spartans split with during the regular season, Izzo commended the Golden Gophers and head coach Ben Johnson for the season they have had and the team they put on the floor.

"Ben Johnson is a guy I've known forever and I think he's done an incredible job up there," Izzo said. "I think he's put together a very, very good team. (Dawson) Garcia is as good (as anyone), could play on any team in the league. The big kid has really come on. (Cam) Christie, like his brother (former Spartan Max Christie), is having a very good year. They've got enough other guys — (Mike) Mitchell, the other guard, has shot the ball well. And of course (Elijah) Hawkins is a jet-quick point guard.

"We split a pair of games with them. We beat them here (in East Lansing), I thought up there (in Minneapolis) we played some of our better (basketball), in all but a five-minute stretch. Both when Tyson (Walker) got hurt and also going 7-of-17 from the free-throw line. Splitting that pair with them, we understand how good they are and splitting that pair with them, we understand where we are."

When asked about the 18-win season, Izzo acknowledged the disappointment of how things have gone, but also put things in perspective, while elaborating on some of the close games his team lost down the stretch and how he believes his team did respond well at times even in games they lost.

"It's disappointing, but it's not 10-20," Izzo said. "But to the players, I think they look at that, and you worry about at the end of the year about, 'how does a team respond?' I think we did respond well in a game we had to win at home against Northwestern, I thought we responded well at Purdue. Indiana, whether we like it or not, was one of the hotter teams in the league and I thought they had a guy have an all-year performance. The performance (Kel'el) Ware put on, when you watch it on film, was incredible. But we will found a way to be in that game."

Izzo also said he's not looking at things with a glass half-full or half-empty approach, as he is just focused on the reality of where his team is at and what they need to do to put together deep postseason runs.

"Since Sunday night, I've watched film on just about every game we've played," Izzo explained. "And every loss for sure. I know exactly where we are and what we have to fix. And fixing it is an issue. But it's not unfixable and it's not like we're that far off. When you have a year where you lose some close games, usually you say you won some games you should have lost. You'd have trouble finding many of those games (with us). You could find five or six games where we're an eyelash away from winning and you can look at one or two and maybe say we should have lost. With that, I'm trying to, not install confidence because I'm a reality guy, but I'm trying to tell them in reality that, 'You're not as bad as what everybody thinks you are. You are at a place where it's illegal to lose this many games.' And rightfully so. That's what you signed up for. We've got to own up to it and play better."

Although MSU is more than likely in the NCAA Tournament even with a loss to Minnesota, the Spartans could still use a win to be 100% sure. Even with that in mind, Izzo said he doesn't feel the need to preach desperation to his team, because he feels like his message has been clear and consistent with his team all season — that every possession matters and they have to cut down on the little mistakes.

"Since that message has been loud and clear all year, I don't look at this (in any other way)," Izzo said. "I try to show them why they aren't as bad most people (say). There's certain games you look back on and you win, you're ranked and you're a hero. And that's what life is all about. I talked to them (Monday) about life lessons and I have done a lot of research with my coaching friends in football and basketball, and I think we're in a good spot. And I think I'm in a good spot."

Izzo was also asked, through his team's inconsistencies, what areas of his team's play gives him confidence moving forward to the point where he feels confident they can turn things up a level in postseason play.

Izzo mentioned his team's ability to take care of the ball, improved shooting and Tyson Walker feeling healthier as reasons for optimism.

"We're one of the better turnover teams in the country, much less the league," Izzo noted. "You give yourself a chance by not turning the ball over. You have to be able to defend and rebound the ball, and we have been inconsistent in that area. Our shooting went from really poor to really pretty good. We are a 37 or 38 percent three-point shooting team over the course of the year. It hurt us a little early, but we have been able to bounce back from that.

"I look at Tyson (Walker), and he definitely feels a lot better the last couple of games than he has those five or six games before, including the loss up there at Minnesota where he got hurt. So, I think we're as healthy as we've been all year, and I think that's important this time of year."

Walker was also recently named to the All-Big Ten second team. Meanwhile, A.J. Hoggard and Malik Hall earned honorable mention nods in the conference.

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