For the first time since 2015, MSU heads to Europe. Michigan State basketball will head to Spain next week to play and practice overseas. The Spartans will face different professional clubs from that region of Europe for three or four games, according to Izzo.
Before the trip, Tom Izzo spoke to the media to inform them about the current status of his program and what he hopes to accomplish in Spain.
You can see the key takeaways, along with the video, from this session below:
Will play against club teams due to the Olympics
In 2015, the Spartans were able to play in training against Olympic teams. This time, because of the Olympics, the Spartans will play against some professional clubs.
Jeremy fears almost 100%
Izzo said the fear is 99-98%, but mentioned his shot is still a question mark.
Izzo impressed by Jase Richardson
Izzo said freshman Jase Richardson is shooting well and playing good defense. Izzo also joked that he’s doing things his father Jason didn’t do when he was a freshman.
About Frankie Fidler
Izzo said that with Frankie they were looking for a bigger winger who could shoot, but they were also attracted to his ability to draw fouls and told him he had no right.
About Szymon Zapala
Izzo called Zapala “really interested” and “probably better than we thought.”
Izzo praises Kur Teng
Izzo called Kur Teng his ‘best shooter’ right now.
At Moneyball
Izzo joked that no one plays defense in Moneyball, so take some of the big scoring numbers with a grain of salt.
On what he expects from Spain
Izzo said that “the better teams we face, the better it will be for me.”
He also mentioned that this team can win a lot from Spain because the team still has a lot to discover as a young group and that should help them.
On your 30th birthday
When asked about his 30th birthday, Izzo immediately talked about his current team, saying they make him feel “rejuvenated.”
More about Kur Teng
Izzo said: ‘He’s going to be a good player… The guy who coached him was crazy, and I mean that in a good way. He doesn’t miss many shots. He’s a shooter who can protect people and he’s trained, and I mean strong… There are some similarities with Josh (Langford), but I think he shoots a little better than Josh.
Full video
This article was originally published on Spartans Wire: What Tom Izzo had to say before Michigan State basketball headed to Spain
