Following Michigan State’s 75–69 exhibition loss to No. 4 UConn, Tom Izzo met with the media to reflect on his team’s performance and what he learned from facing one of the best programs in the country.

“We did not look like a team that played as hard as we should have in the first half,” Izzo said. “Considering Jeremy had six turnovers, I thought he still played well against their ball-hawking defense. Danny [Hurley] runs one of the better offensive movement teams in the country, and our guards weren’t ready for that. But in the second half, I thought our freshmen played better than our experienced guys.”

Izzo noted the game’s slow pace and length due 56 fouls being called collectively on both teams, joking, “Longest game. Need a pitch count or something. We’ve got to speed that up.”

Free throws and finishing at the rim were also a point of frustration. “One thing we’ve done a very good job of all spring and summer was free throws,” he said. “We shot miserably today and that hurt us at key times. Missed a few layups, too. Our offense didn’t look good—and UConn’s did. We’ve got a long way to go, but that’s why it’s an exhibition game.”

On Cohen Carr

When asked about what he wants to see from Cohen Carr, Izzo was blunt. “When he goes almost the whole game without getting a rebound, that’s not good,” he said. “I feel for him at the free throw line—he’s really improved a lot—but in these two games he’s 5-for-15. Cohen’s got to get his butt to the boards, he’s got to rebound and make things happen. And we’ve got to get him the ball in the open court.”

On Rotations and Lineups

Izzo made it clear that Michigan State’s frequent lineup changes were by design. “We played a lot of different lineups on purpose—win or lose,” he said. “We went small, we went big. I’m concerned at the two; we’ve got to get somebody more consistent there. The scary part is, the freshmen came in and looked pretty good. Could be a Max Christie-type player. You never know what you’ll get with freshmen until you throw them in.”

On Jeremy Fears Jr.

Izzo expressed faith in sophomore guard Jeremy Fears Jr. despite the turnover numbers. “Felt like he’s running my team, felt like he pushed the pace,” Izzo said. “Give UConn credit. It hurt us when they had to play small ball with [Tarris] Reed Jr. out—we didn’t guard that well enough, and that’s on us. But we learned some things.”

On Defense and UConn’s Offense

Izzo praised UConn’s offensive movement and execution. “We played one of the best movement teams in the country,” he said. “Karaban moves as well without the ball as anyone I’ve seen—he can make a three, he can drive it. They make you guard everything.”

On Catching Up with Jim Calhoun

The postgame wrapped up on a lighter note when Izzo shared a story about reconnecting with legendary former UConn coach Jim Calhoun before the game. “I did, and he hasn’t changed—still ornery,” Izzo laughed. “He talked about all the times he beat us, which was depressing before the game. Maybe I blame this performance on him because I didn’t give a good enough speech after his BS.”

In typical Izzo fashion, it was an honest, grounded postgame reflection. The Spartans used the game as a test, experimenting with rotations and identifying early-season weaknesses. They’ll take those lessons into the regular season opener on Monday night against Colgate at 7 p.m.—the official start of another year of Michigan State basketball.