Coach Tom Izzo gives a speech at Midnight Madness 2022, held at the Breslin Center on October 8, 2022.
Michigan State men’s basketball Head Coach Tom Izzo followed women’s basketball Head Coach Suzy Merchant at the podium on day two of Big Ten basketball media days in Minneapolis.
Izzo brought five players with him to media day: senior forward Malik Hall, graduate student Joey Hauser, senior guard Tyson Walker, junior guard A.J. Hoggard and sophomore guard Jaden Akins.
While teams do not usually bring this many players to represent them, Izzo mentioned that all of these players deserved to be there because of their successful offseason.
“Joey Hauser had a phenomenal summer," Izzo said. "I think he was one of those kids that COVID really hit hard, did not have as good a year as the first two, but he has had a great spring, summer and fall and Malik Hall has done the same. Those are our two staples. The other guys that might have had as good a summer as anybody were Tyson Walker and Jaden Akins. Those guys I think have all made big steps and as big a step as anybody was probably A.J. Hoggard, losing some more weight, getting to where I think as somebody should be and he's played very well, shooting it better.”
Although he said that Hall and Hauser are his two staples, he stated that Hoggard will step into a leadership role this season.
“A.J. is going to be my leader," Izzo said. "I think he's going to be the guy. Number one, that position mandates it, you know, your quarterback has to be the guy that kind of runs your team.”
While backcourt depth will not seem to be an issue this year, one of the biggest questions of the team coming into this season is inexperienced frontcourt depth, with junior Mady Sissoko and freshman Jaxon Kohler expected to play a heavy bulk of minutes.
While Izzo noted that he is nervous about rebounding, he still values guard play over big men in order to win championships in the Big Ten.
“I still think that to win championships, your guard play has to be really good,” Izzo said. “Centers are important, and they can score it down there and we've got a couple in our league that I think are phenomenal, but guard play is going to be really important when it comes down to it.”
Izzo was also asked if he is considering retirement anytime soon, which now seems to be an annual question, but he said when he quits enjoying it, he will hang it up.
“I'm going to do it like Jay Wright did," Izzo said. "When it's time that I don't enjoy it or when it's time when I can’t take a red eye from Vegas or Orlando, it'd be time to get out. That is not where I'm at right now in any way, shape or form. In fact, going through what we went through at Michigan State some issues a couple years ago with COVID, I'm just the opposite. I've got some things I'd like to accomplish.”
Michigan State tips its season off with an exhibition against Grand Valley State Nov. 1 at 7 p.m.
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