MSU's Izzo Details Next Steps for Team Following Arkansas Win

EAST LANSING, Mich. --- Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo spoke to the press on Tuesday about what's next for his team after a big win over Arkansas and about the upcoming matchup with San Jose State on Thursday.

The Spartans are up to 17th in the national rankings and are 2-0. SJSU will enter the Breslin Center at 0-2, with road losses to Utah and UC Santa Barbara.

Even though the record isn't there, San Jose State is still a worthwhile opponent. SJSU's head coach is Tim Miles, who coached at Nebraska for seven seasons and knows what it's like to face Izzo. San Jose State is also a part of the Mountain West Conference, which KenPom considers to be the sixth-best conference out of 31.

A full video of Izzo's press conference is below.

Watch Tom Izzo here:

Additionally, a partial transcript of Izzo's presser can be read further below.

Transcript

Michigan State's coach Tom Izzo, right, talks with Jeremy Fears Jr. during the second half in the game against Arkansas on Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025, at the Breslin Center in East Lansing. | Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Q: When you got a chance to look back over the [Arkansas] game and the film, what was maybe the biggest surprise that you saw in your team's performance?

IZZO: Well, we hadn't been playing very good defense, and I thought we followed the game plan to the T. We didn't give up penetration. That was a pleasant surprise. We rebounded the hell out of the ball. That was a pleasant surprise.

Now, there was a negative surprise. We turned the ball over and didn't get back on defense at all. I think they got seven layups... and they still only shot 38%.

But it's one of those games, as I told John [Calipari] after, us going to UConn helped us, their first road game.

Tom Izzo, John Calipar — Michigan State's coach Tom Izzo, left, and Arkansas' head coach John Calipari meet before the game on Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025, at the Breslin Center in East Lansing. | Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

I put stock in the game. I don't put a lot of stock in the game. It's too early, but I saw some good things, and I saw some poor things, to be honest with you.

We worked hard on transition D, and we didn't do a very good job of that. I didn't do a very good job. I played Jeremy [Fears Jr.] to death, and I think he got tired at the end. So, we're going to work on that, too.

Q: Today was not letting what you guys accomplished on Saturday, and the kind of steps you take to not let it slip back.

IZZO: Yeah, it's almost embarrassing that we'd even talk about it. It's a fair question, but you win a game... I mean, there's banners hanging over there. We haven't done anything.

And some of these guys know what it's like to play in a Elite Eight and a Sweet 16. So, you know, is it a trap game? Well, of course. You got Arkansas on one side and Kentucky on the other. That's a trap game no matter what you're playing.

But at the same time, you know, they're well-coached. Coach [Tim Miles] was in the Big Ten, so he knows us pretty well, and we've got to play better.

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