NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Final Four Monday, April 1, 2019 Minneapolis, Minnesota Tom Izzo Michigan State Spartans upgrade, was upgraded last year with the way he handled that loss in the Sweet 16. I'm not sure there THE MODERATOR: Hi, Coach. This is David Worlock was anybody that's ever done a better job of handling with the NCAA. Congratulations on winning and something. And in his own way, using that as a advancing to the Final Four. motivator to not feel sorry for ourselves. It's part of who we are, and let's move forward. Q. Hi, Tom. You've talked so much in the last couple years about the "get old, stay old," kind of a I am very excited that Tony made it. Watching his dad Jay Wright mantra of having success in the in the stands when I know him so well was not only fun, tournament. I'm wondering how much yesterday's but it was a little exhausting because his dad takes result and you look at the teams in the Final Four, those games, I think, harder than Tony and I. along with you, I think Aaron Henry is the only freshman starting, how much has that been Q. Coach, the previous Final Fours that you've reinforced to you over the last couple of days? been to featured the likes of Duke and North TOM IZZO: It's a funny problem. Everybody would like Carolina, Kentucky. How is the Final Four to have what Duke and Kentucky have as far as different? Maybe you don't have as many of the personnel. Both of them have had incredible years, but so-called blue blood programs, and you guys are, experience does matter too, you know. Somewhere in fact, the marquis, the blue blood program there's probably a happy medium. If you don't have the yourself. best talent, you'd better be very old and very TOM IZZO: That feels good, I guess, if maybe we could experienced, and if you do have it, I think it helps to be considered in that a little bit. Like everywhere else, have some blend in there because I say a lot of times Villanova wasn't considered one. Florida wasn't that games in the tournament are won in the hotels and considered one. Both of them won one back to back, the walk-throughs, on the airplanes, in the locker won one two out of three. We won one, and we're back rooms, and if you don't have anybody in there that kind in Minnesota that next year with a pretty good team of tells you what's going on or what you're going to go and didn't win one. through or how it is. I don't think it -- yeah, you get used to the Dukes and I felt for Duke and the respect for those four great Kentuckys and Carolinas, and Kansases, but this day freshmen, but we played one or two that game, and and age, it's about who's playing the best and who both of ours were kind of in the fog. I can imagine what matches up the best. Matchups are very important this that's like. That's all. time of year. Some teams just don't match up well and others do. Q. Good afternoon, Coach. You handed Tony Bennett a couple of his early NCAA Tournament It's not going to change anything at the Final Four. losses at Virginia. I was just curious your reaction When you have a player like Zion Williamson, and to him getting back and him reaching the Final everybody knows is maybe a once-in-a-generation Four. player, sure, that probably changes a little bit of it as far TOM IZZO: I don't know if you cheer for people. I as the way people look at it. But the Final Four is guess you do in certain ways. But Tony's been one I bigger than a player, it's bigger than the coach, and it's cheer for. I seem to have known him since he was a bigger than a program. With that being said, I think little kid. I used to work his dad's camps. Watching his Minneapolis is going to be a great place. The facility is career, playing against him when he was at Michigan awesome. I've been by it, and really looking forward to State and he was at Green Bay, and then, of course, coming up there. he was, I think, a GA when we won against Wisconsin. I have the utmost respect for his dad, and I've always Q. Tom, not to compare or trying to compare had tremendous respect for Tony. teams, because I know it's difficult, but having not been to the Final Four in about four years, at this I got to admit, my respect for Tony, if it's possible to point in your career, do you start to kind of try to

Rev #1 by #206 at 2019-04-01 19:07:00 GMT page 1 of 3 appreciate them a little bit more and just the and yet once the ball is thrown up, I don't think it helps difficulty in how hard it is to get to this point? you as much as I'd like to think it would. If the players TOM IZZO: Well, I think, when you did go with a couple played in it now, I think that helps even a lot more. of pretty good teams and didn't even get a sniff at a Final Four, I think it -- I don't think it humbled us Q. And that experience for Kenny, just being there because I don't think I've ever taken that for granted, and absorbing it, how much can he pass along to but I think it teaches you that it's not just about being those guys? really good. We were really good in, I don't know, '13 TOM IZZO: I bet he passed a lot, a lot on the airplane or '14 with that team and didn't make it. We were really last night and in the room. I bet you today he'll be able good in '16 and didn't make it. We were really good in to talk about how exciting it is and everything and all '18 and didn't make it. those good things. Maybe help with the distractions of the Final Four and all that you have to go through. So I kind of have that feeling, and yet when you go a Maybe that can help in that area. I think I'll get four-year stretch, you thought you would in '16. You together with Kenny a little today and we'll brainstorm. thought you might in '18, and you didn't even get close. I think it makes you appreciate where we are now even But as you said, a lot of teams haven't been there, and more, and I think every program would do that. now with the new one-and-done being more prevalent, Whoever thought Duke and Kentucky wouldn't be back even the real good teams that are there on a more there for years either, and it's just the nature of the regular basis might not be there with players that have beast nowadays, and it's the way it is and the parity been in the Final Four two years earlier. and the transfers and the guys going pro and all the different reasons. You got to be good, and you got to Q. Hi, Coach. I know you covered a lot of this, but be lucky. with the seven prior trips, is there anything else besides the auxiliary things that you take from With that being said, I know one thing, I look at it now those as you go into trip number eight? I know you like who knows if you'll ever get back? I thought that talked about changing things. I'm not sure you're early on, and then we went to three in a row, and I ready to disclose what you would change yet, but probably got a little spoiled myself. Right now I'm just curious about any of the other factors that go going to enjoy every bit of it, but I'm going to try to find into it that you've learned from your first seven a way to do things a little differently because we have trips in the Final Fours? been to seven others and only one won. That means TOM IZZO: I'll disclose this one thing. I'm going to try that maybe we're not doing everything right when we to win this time. I don't know if I've done a good job of get there. We're trying to look into that seriously and that. You know, the experience helps because you do yet still enjoy the process. know what today is. Today is a day that we're going to practice a little bit and go through some things, but Q. Tom, I was wondering -- kind of a two-parter. We we're also going to have a big meeting on hotels and haven't had one in a while. First of all, this is a tickets and all the things for families because I think Final Four that doesn't have a lot of Final Four that experience does help, and I think that is pressure experience, outside of you as a head coach and the that builds on these kids as the week goes on. So that program. I was wondering how much that plays a part will help. factor in this. And also with Kenny in particular, I think he's the only player who has -- has been to a I think I'll be able to tell them about the media blitz and Final Four, obviously didn't play. For him, how all the things that go on when you get there, and that much was that experience helpful to pass along to will help. guys? TOM IZZO: That's a good question. As I told a couple But I'm looking at sometimes, even as a coach, you're of coaches, I did talk to Chris Beard earlier today, and just happy to be there, and sometimes I'm trying to look first thing I said was get your tickets done today. Get at what can I do better than I did? We had a late, late your hotels done today. I think the first year I was still night meeting with my staff, and we'll have another one doing them at tip-off. That was not very healthy. in a little while because I told them, because a couple Experience helps some, but I think the excitement of it, of them have been with me more than a couple of everybody handles it differently. I have experience, but those Final Fours, let's look at what we did. Let's look I don't get to play the game. As you just said, there's at some other programs. I might talk to guys like Jay almost no players on any of these teams that has Wright who have done it and guys like that and figure actually played in a Final Four. out different approaches. Did you grind it? Did you let them just go loose? I hope the experience helps me on the auxiliary things,

Rev #1 by #206 at 2019-04-01 19:07:00 GMT page 2 of 3 Everybody sometimes guys get too tight in the Final Of course, when Nick went out, we had a big meeting Four. Sometimes there's so many distractions they get on that, just because we know what Nick had been distracted in a Final Four. So it's just trying to find it. doing, and then, and then Kyle. It's just been different. And at the end of the day, it all sounds like good coach speak, and the game is won if the ball goes in the hole I think the mental toughness has been because we had or if it doesn't go in the hole. It usually makes a big to adjust to survive. I think it brought our staff and difference. them closer because we changed how we did some things, whether it be ball screens or anything else, and Q. Hi, Coach. Congratulations on making it to I think, because of that, they relied on each other. another Final Four. Each Final Four in your career They relied on the staff, and we relied on different -- two-part question here -- how have you been able players than we thought would play. It's been an to enable success in your players over the years? interesting, unique, but very exhilarating way to do And second to that is how does this team differ things the last two months. from teams that have reached the Final Four in the past? Q. Tom, what has been your impression of TOM IZZO: Well, two good questions. I know I think Minneapolis over the years? I know last night you we've been able to do it because really of the base that said you're a cold weather guy. It's supposed to be was set by so many of the players before. Magic is still in the 60s here for the weekend. And also, just the talking to our team before the game, and he's around a 2001 Final Four, what stands out as memory-wise lot. And all those guys from the 2000, 2010s and '15s from that trip? have all made a big part of why I think we've been able TOM IZZO: I love Minneapolis, and I have some friends to do it. They all talk about the dream, the goal, how up there. Flip Saunders is a great friend of mine and good it was. And I think it motivates players, and that's, really proud of what Ryan has done with the I guess, what I'm luckiest about here. Timberwolves and how he's forging forward. So I think of Flip and his family, he was kind enough to make me So we found a way to keep it going with good players, an assistant on the Goodwill Games many years ago, a very consistent staff, and a bunch of alums that live, and I've always had -- when we go up there to play eat, and sleep it for us, and for that I'm thankful. Minnesota, there's -- I think it's a great city. I enjoy that. And the new football facility is off the charts. I How this team differs from my past ones, you know, think that's going to be fun to play in, having played in people talk about the toughness of this team, and I some unique places like an aircraft or like the 50-yard think we're tougher than we think we are, but I don't line when it wasn't cool in Ford Field. know if we're physically like some of the teams I've had. But I think mentally this team has been through a I think this is going to be a tremendous setting right lot and had to adjust to all these different injuries and downtown, and I'm really looking forward to it. And the things. I think they've done an incredible job, and it's weather's 60. That's good too. Back then in '01, it was made them mentally tough where they have confidence snowing a little bit, and we were staying out by the in themselves, they have confidence in each other. I airport. The rules were different. The NCAA has done think a lot of teams were close. I use the word a great job of getting us all downtown. I think that is "connected." This team seems to be even more one of the neater things that has happened. You're connected. working a lot of hours during the Final Four, but if your players can get a little bit of the feel, we were 20, 25 I know this: All of them have been extremely minutes from downtown in 2001. I think this has made enjoyable. a huge difference and will make a huge difference in a place like Minneapolis. Q. Tom, my question was actually about the mental toughness we were just talking about. I wanted to see if that's something inherent with your guys or something that develops over time with some of the adversity you've been through. TOM IZZO: I think it develops. I didn't notice at the beginning of the year -- Cassius is always Cassius, but I think a lot of guys, when McQuaid went out early, we forget about that. We lose to Louisville without him. And then Josh has been such a good leader, and when he's out and he's just always been the type of guy who leads. So that has been very, very helpful to all of us.

Rev #1 by #206 at 2019-04-01 19:07:00 GMT page 3 of 3