Rewind on Tom Izzo

  As a new Spartan Nation writer, one of my assignments will be rewinding Tom Izzo's public comments and picking out some nuggets for you the readers of

 

In Izzo the Spartan Nation trusts, but can this team get it fixed? Photo courtesy of Mark Boomgaard

 

As a new Spartan Nation writer, one of my assignments will be rewinding Tom Izzo's public comments and picking out some nuggets for you the readers of Spartan Nation. Here is the first installment. I hope you enjoy it.

 

With his team on the verge of self destruction, Michigan State coach Tom Izzo took to the podium and fielded questions about his teams recent struggles. Izzo wasted no time in categorizing the past weekend as “disappointing” and “confusing” and took full ownership of the teams underachievement. Notable excerpts include:

“We went up there (Penn State) and shot really well the night before and then just got in the game and didn’t do anything very well.”

“Draymond is our most versatile player which means I put him positions to handle the ball, shoot inside and outside. He’s got a lot on his plate.” When you change positions, much is given and much is expected. I think he fails to realize this sometimes.”

“Winning creates a attitude of complacency, but I didn’t see that in those practices”

“Guys need to remember where they came from.”

“The two things that happen each year is how you handle the success you had the year before and how you handle the changing of your role.”

“So have we lost our identity a little bit? Probably. We have a lot of season to get it back.”

“I don’t think we can spend anymore time on free throw shooting. Its not a technical thing, it’s a mental thing.”

“We’re going to continue to try and work to get the ball inside.”

“I think if he (Draymond Green) plays better we play better.”

Despite MSU’s erratic play, its clear to see Tom Izzo has not lost confidence in his team’s ability to turn things around which should give many MSU fans hope. Effort is being made in practice, which leads one to believe that the problem is not with personnel but the mental state of the team. That is something that can change as most of us witnessed last year during March The role of Draymond Green has also changed. Green has evolved from being a valuable asset off the bench to an prized commodity within the starting lineup. MSU’s success lays heavily with how well Draymond Green plays from this point forward. The jury is still out deliberating on this team. It will interesting to see how Izzo and company implement changes while seeking to win the Big Ten, and ultimately the national championship.