Tom Izzo Win Quotations

We played Gonzaga, we played Arizona, we played all these overtime games, and I told (my team during a late-game huddle ) I thought we've earned the right to win this game. I felt, looking at them in the eye, that they were looking back at me saying, 'Damn right we do, and we're going to get it done.' And that was encouraging.

After watching (Atlantic Coast Conference) basketball growing up, when they started moving that thing to different sites I thought it hurt more than helped. So that's the only question I would have. Do we need to establish ourselves in a spot and really build on that?

This is a very, very good basketball team. And it was a big win because we had to win it the defensive way.

I'm not a big believer in that. The one time it really hurt was when Ohio State won the thing (in 2002) and got shipped west. That was awful. In that respect it would be an advantage losing, but for the most part winning is more of an advantage.

I'm not a record guy. I don't need to win 700 games, I don't need to have 20 straight 20-win seasons ... and I don't need to get in the NCAA tournament every year if we're not worthy of being in it. If we're not playing good enough or we can't win a game, it just doesn't turn me on.

I think for the most part, winning is always more of an advantage. If you play (in the NCAA Tournament) on Thursday or Friday, and you don't have to travel through too many time zones, I don't think there's any plus in us losing. I didn't feel any better about it (last year). I can guarantee you that.

I still think this team is good enough to win some big games. This is a talented basketball team with good guys that has had a horrendous schedule and it's taken its toll.

Now that we've got our lineup straightened out the last month, our rotation may be similar to some of our real good teams, ... We're not as good defensively, we're not as good a rebounding team, but we're a much better shooting team. It's different, but it's got some similarities in areas that are key to winning championships.

We found a way to win ? that's what you've got to do in one-and-done time.

If you look at our home and road stats, they're enormously different. Most teams are different, but not enormously different. You get in a little slump, and you don't get the confidence of the home crowd and the home baskets and the home bed. Yeah, I think it affects you a little bit. I really, really do. But I also think you got to be big enough to win some of these games on the road.

It was a big road win because any road win in this league is a big road win.

I see this being a good enough basketball team to win a lot of games yet.

It's great to have our league being talked about. Every team in the league is making some strides. I still think eight teams can win the Big Ten championship and in the long run that's going to help our recruiting, our exposure and the respect for our league.

It's probably two games too many, but at the same time, it's an incredible opportunity, ... And I'm not trying to break anyone's wins record, so what's the difference?

He kind of thrives on pressure, he kind of thrives on big moments. He took control of the game, under control. And that speaks volumes of a player when he can take control of game and do it under control. I think that means the guy's really growing up and becoming a special player.

We're going to hone in 95 percent of our time on George Mason. If you don't win the first one, you don't get to the second one. But if you get to the second one and you're not prepared and you don't get out of the weekend, I don't feel like that's where Michigan State is right now.

It was just too bad because I think we played well enough in a lot of ways to win the game, but we just couldn't get in sync half the night with guys out with foul trouble.

As far as my confidence in the team, as crazy as it sounds, I still think we have a chance to win our last two games. If we do that, I think we go into the Big Ten Tournament on a high and have every bit a chance to win as anybody else.

I said that there could be eight teams vie for the championship. I think scheduling (the Big Ten doesn't play a round robin, so some teams play others just once) is gonna play a part in everything. I still think our conference could fight to be the strongest in the country. When you look top to bottom at the conference race this year, four losses could win it, maybe more.

I kind of respect and understand his theory, because it's a lot like mine. He looks at it like the only way he's getting to the NCAA tournament is to win his league, so if he can go out and play some of the best teams and sell that in recruiting and it makes the university some money.

What I think a successful program is, is not the one who wins it every year, but the one that is truly knocking at the door and everyone knows every year. They are a threat to do something.

I'm excited about the Big Ten. It's great to have our league being talked about. I think every team in the league is making some strides, and I still think there are eight teams in the league that could win the Big Ten championship.

Those two statistics are ridiculous. But as down as I am and as our fans are, this season wasn't a total disaster. We won 22 games and had some good wins playing maybe the toughest schedule in the country.

This team has been a good free throw-shooting team for years. It wins games for you, it really does.

A good job is not good enough here. A good job is 18, 19 wins. Twenty-two wins is a very good job. But we're looking for championships and Final Fours and that didn't change, and that's not going to change until the day I get thrown out of here. Good is not good enough.

It's back to the drawing board on defense. We have good enough athletes and good enough players to get it done. But they're going to be coached harder in the next three-and-a-half days.

When the players want to win more than the coach, that's a great sign, and I see that.

I can remember back in the championship years winning by one point and two points against teams that weren't as good. I'm gonna chalk this up to a win when we weren't at our best.

It's kind of apropos for the year. It was a rough start and it will be a rough ending. At the same time, if you can win a game and you've got Senior Day, I don't see it being a major factor.

Iowa's good enough to win the Big Ten title. They've helped themselves this week by beating Indiana (Saturday) and us.

We've got a good enough team to win the next six games and we've got a good enough team to lose the next six games and I think a lot of teams are in that boat in this league.

I'm not sure how many people would have picked us to win either road game. We played at the two toughest road places.

What are they best at? They seem to be a very, very good defensive team, which concerns me because that's usually what wins at this time of the year.

What are they best at? They seem to be a good defensive team, which concerns me because that's usually what wins at this time of year. Not a lot of pressing, but just solid, get-after-you-a-little-bit defense. Maybe a poor man's Illinois in that respect.

You can't win four games because of luck.

Maurice has struggled lately. And (yet) I don't think there's anybody I've ever coached who wants to win more than he does.

I don't think (we have) any chance (of playing) at The Palace. I think we would have had to win this thing to get a chance at The Palace.

I told them in the huddle that we played Gonzaga and Arizona we played all those overtime games and we've earned the right to win the game. They looked back at me and said, 'Damn right we did.

We didn't get beat by some chopped-liver team. I mean, don't kid yourself: They're going to win a lot of games -- a lot of games.

It was a game that slipped away. Give credit to them, they deserved to win it. It was just too bad, because I think we played well enough in a lot of ways to win the game.

I've said all along there were six teams capable of winning the Big Ten, and that hasn't changed. Iowa has its work cut out for it, but they've helped themselves a lot this week winning at Indiana and beating Michigan State at home.

If you're always going 11-0 or 12-0 in the preseason, you can get 20 wins easier. If you're playing other people, it's a lot more difficult to do that. I'm proud that we did it the hard way. When you do that, your kids get mentally tougher.

We really didn't shoot very well. We just missed. In that first half, we were just throwing balls at the basket.

Shannon (Brown) was very unselfish today and Maurice (Ager) came to me at halftime and said, 'I made some good shots in the first half and in the second half I'm going to go out there and put them down.' That to me is a great feeling knowing that the relationship between the coaches and the players is that confident.

It is a win-win-win. I guess on paper, if he goes, it looks like it's a lose for me. It's a lose if you look at the small picture, but a real win if you look at the big picture. The potential of maybe having three first-round picks is pretty impressive.

We had some spurts when we hit the 3s, ... This was an important win for us.

He's changed. He is very much a vocal guy, very much the leader. You can look him in the eye. Growing as a player and a student is one thing ? growing as a man is another.

Players play, tough players win,