4 months ago
- Spartans
- Published: Jan. 06, 2026, 1:13 a.m.
EAST LANSING – USC’s first travel to Michigan State successful 72 years didn’t spell well.
The No. 12 Spartans (13-2, 3-1 Big Ten) rolled to an 80-51 triumph against nan Trojans (12-3, 1-3) connected Monday nighttime astatine nan Breslin Center to present coach Tom Izzo his 750th profession victory.
Here are notable quotes from Izzo and players pursuing nan win:
Izzo connected falling down early to unfastened nan crippled pinch mediocre shooting from some teams: “After that start, because it was benignant of an disfigured start, I thought we did a batch of bully things successful nan 2nd half. We kept building connected it and that was really bully for us.”
Jeremy Fears connected Michigan State rebounding from Friday’s two-point nonaccomplishment astatine Nebraska and much attraction connected defense: “We person goals and worldly that we talk astir and we weren’t doing that. We really want to get backmost to our protect principles and being us.”
Izzo connected USC sagging disconnected defensively connected Coen Carr and giving him unfastened looks from deep: “I conscionable said if they want to travel disconnected that far, past conscionable backmost them in, which he did a overmuch amended occupation of, sewage to nan free propulsion line.”
Carr, who missed his first 4 3-point attempts earlier hitting 1 late, while finishing pinch 18 points and six rebounds: “I conscionable kept trying to beryllium aggressive, find different ways to score, conscionable kept moving, kept trying to clang nan glass.”
Izzo connected Jaxon Kohler, who deed each six section goals, including a trio of triples, while posting 16 points and 8 rebounds: “Jaxon, I deliberation if you inquire nan players, is astir apt nan hardest-working feline I’ve got. He maxes retired connected nan number of shots a week. … He’s earned everything he’s got.”
Kohler, who is shooting 53.7 percent from 3-point scope this play while already knocking down a career-high 29 triples: “I’m conscionable going to support playing my role, playing my changeable action and support shooting it.”
Izzo sarcastically responding to what he and Fears talked astir during an animated sideline discussion: “I asked him if he wanted to spell retired to meal wherever he’d for illustration to spell and I didn’t work together pinch nan spot he wanted to spell truthful I told him he was afloat of it.”
Izzo connected Jordan Scott, who deed a brace of 3-pointers to decorativeness pinch 8 points, 3 rebounds, a artifact and a bargain disconnected nan bench: “I deliberation Jordan Scott has been 1 of our unsung heroes for a freshman. He’s done a batch of really bully things. He’s been adjacent to starting, we conscionable felt for illustration we didn’t want to put that unit connected him.”
Kohler connected his humorous guidance to Carr’s latest item reel dunk successful nan 2nd half complete 2 defenders while drafting a foul: “I saw it each complete societal media, it’s truthful funny. You spot that successful existent clip successful a crippled and you spot Coen do that, it conscionable leaves you speechless. It ne'er gets tiring.”
Izzo connected what erstwhile halfway Paul Davis said to get ejected from nan crippled successful nan 2nd half: “He benignant of sewage aft nan charismatic and he was 150 percent incorrect and for a feline for illustration maine to 150 percent work together pinch nan official, it’s almost illegal.”
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Matt Wenzel has been nan Michigan State shot hit writer for MLive since 2017 and besides covers men's and women's basketball, lucky and different sports.
