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Head coach Tom Izzo vows to recruit better following loss to Duke

April 8, 2015
<p>Head coach Tom Izzo yells to his players on the court April 4, 2015, during the semi-final game of the NCAA Tournament in the Final Four round at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Spartans were defeated by the Blue Devils, 81-61. Erin Hampton/The State News</p>

Head coach Tom Izzo yells to his players on the court April 4, 2015, during the semi-final game of the NCAA Tournament in the Final Four round at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Spartans were defeated by the Blue Devils, 81-61. Erin Hampton/The State News

Photo by Erin Hampton | The State News

The Blue Devils attempted 37 free throws to MSU’s 16. The disparity mostly resulted from Duke’s superior athleticism and ability to get to the rim. The Spartans lacked defenders who could keep up with freshman center Jahlil Okafor and freshman forward Justise Winslow, who combined for 37 points and 15 rebounds.

Four Spartans had four fouls at the end of the game and three had three fouls. Foul trouble limited the Spartans in the second half, and they went on to lose 81-61.

“The foul trouble, I got to do a better job of coaching,” Izzo said. “It’s the way it’s going to be called. I got to do a better job of recruiting because I’m just going to get guys that can drive. That’s the way the game has changed.”

In 2013, the NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel changed several rules to open up offensive freedom on the court and encourage scoring. While the rule change has helped some players score at a higher rate, “offensive freedom” isn’t the first word that comes to mind when thinking about Saturday’s game.

“I think it’s just a drive and get fouled,” Izzo said.

Izzo said before the rule changes teams were allowed to play “smash mouth basketball,” something teams can’t do anymore

“I don’t think anybody wants to see the best players on the bench,” he said. “I mean, I don’t blame the officials. I blame me. I’m on the board. It’s not as much fun to coach when you’re constantly telling guys, ‘Don’t touch them, don’t move.’”

Izzo added that the Spartans are mostly responsible for the loss, citing poor shot selection, poor transition defense and turnovers. Yet, free throws were still a factor in the end result.

“They didn’t turn the ball over, the officials or the rules,” Izzo said. “They didn’t take bad shots. That was us. We did.

“As proud as I am of my team, I’m disappointed about that. That’s just the way it is. I’m not wired real good to say that we did everything right and Duke just played good. Duke played good, Michigan State didn’t play good. There are reasons both ways.”

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