Hoke isn’t apologizing to anyone for that, saying that his team has simply worried about itself all season and that isn’t going to change now. The former San Diego State and Ball State coach also has some interesting opinions on Denard Robinson and the rumors that the Michigan-Ohio State rivalry game could be moved from the last week of the season.

Brady Hoke joined WXYT in Detroit with Stoney and Bill to discuss preparing his team for distractions in New Orleans, the excitement level of his team as they prepare for a BCS bowl game matchup with Virginia Tech, the threats Virginia Tech poses in all three phases of the game, the agreement between the Big Ten and Pac-12 to play each other every year, the future of quarterback Denard Robinson, and the potential moving of the rivalry game with Ohio State from the last weekend of the regular season.

Are there distractions you have to worry about with your team playing in New Orleans?:

“You’ve been here, right? And you’re distracted easily. When you’ve got a bunch of 18 to 23 year olds and you’re in a great city that has a lot of different opportunities, it can be a distraction. … We pretty much check them in every night. … They had a little time to themselves, but believe me, we check them all in.”

Do you have to educate your players about the surroundings and what’s going on down there?:

“No question. We brought in the New Orleans police department and they do a great job of really trying to educate your guys on the different elements that are here and the different traps that you can fall into. I thought that was a great orientation.”

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How excited is your group and can you understand the frustration of fans from teams like Michigan State who think they should be in a BCS bowl game?:

“We’re extremely proud and excited to be here and playing in a BCS football game. All year long, we haven’t worried about anybody else but ourselves. We’re just going to go out and represent the University of Michigan and represent the Big Ten Conference to our highest level.”

On the matchups with some dynamic offensive players for Virginia Tech:

“The running back, you have a 1,600-yard back. That’s a pretty special thing. He’s definitely a guy who can do an awful lot — hitting the hole, he’s got great explosion, he’s a triple jump champion at the Penn Relays. He’s a very athletic guy, David Miller. And then Logan Thomas at quarterback is a 6-8 version of Denard. He’s 250 pounds. He reminds you a lot of Ben Roethlisberger at an early age, when he could move around the pocket a little better.”

What are your thoughts on the new agreement pitting Pac-12 teams against the Big Ten every year?:

“I think the two conferences have so much tradition together, when you look at the Rose Bowl. I think it’s good for our conference. You definitely have to look at your scheduling and what you’ll do with that, going on from here, if that’s what you’re going to have.”

Do you believe Denard Robinson will be back next year?:

“I think so. We’re the ones who encouraged him to find out [more about the NFL]. There’s a lot of different reasons you would do that, maybe some motivation, maybe some insurance a guy can take out. All of those things are a part of it, and to see where you’re at. Denard kind of came to me about it and was very hesitant and I said, ‘No, I think we need to do this and I think it’s the right thing to do for you.’”

On rumors that the Ohio State-Michigan game may be moved earlier in the season and you guys would always end the season against Michigan State:

“I would be very much against it. That rivalry with Ohio has always been played at the end of the year and you’d probably find a lot of people with the same sentiment that it needs to be kept where it is.”

Listen to Brady Hoke on WXYT in Detroit here

Michigan State coach Tom Izzo isn’t saying that the Big Ten is easily the best basketball conference in the country, but he seems to have a point that it’s in a better state than it has been for a while. Now that the conference season has started, it’s going to be interesting to watch the race take shape and then see who makes the Big Dance.

Tom Izzo joined 1070 The Fan in Indianapolis with Dan Dakich to discuss the state of his team at this point, how it got here, where the Big Ten stands and some of the league’s storylines now that the league slate is under way.

Are you happy with where your team is at right now?:

“I’m pleased. I’m ecstatic about our record. … We have improved and we’ve improved in areas you really want to. Our shooting has gone from 30-some percent to 50-some percent. … We have our moments when I think our inexperience kind of rears its ugly head and our lack of playing together does. So we have stretches when I’m not ecstatic about how we’re playing, but I do know this: I like where we’re at, as long as we keep getting better. If we don’t, we’ll just be a good to decent team, at best.”

Has it been a combination of solid output from Adreian Payne and Derrick Nix combined with the veteran toughness of Draymond Green?:

“I think you hit on all factors right there. It’s not like Payne and Nix have been dynamite, but between them, we’re getting 15 points and 10, 11, 12 rebounds and pretty good defense. … And our leadership, Draymond is as tough as nails. He’s been so good. He’s been a much better practice player than he was. He’s really taken on the responsibility of not only a captain, but a senior.”

On the strength of the Big Ten Conference:

“Don’t you think it’s the best you’ve seen it in a lot, a lot of years? I think one is really good in Ohio State. I’m not sure we’re as strong as a couple other conferences with our one, two and threes. But when you look at two through nine in our league, I think there’s a lot of teams that can get in the NCAA Tournament. It’s going to be tough.”

Even looking on down the line to teams like a Nebraska:

“Well, the other problem with Nebraska, I don’t know Doc real well, but I know him well enough. He’s kind of in the Dick Bennett mold, too, where they’re going to check you. It’s not going to be any easy time. … And [with Wisconsin's] Jordan Taylor, we’re sitting there looking at his stats saying, ‘He’s not where he was last year and this and this.’ Yet, it’s almost like he’s toying with us. He’s been more of a facilitator, eight assists, one turnover. … When it’s time to turn on the big lights, I’m afraid to say he’ll take another step up and then they’ll be really, really good.”

Listen to Tom Izzo on 1070 The Fan in Indianapolis here

First things first, though. The Badgers get an opportunity to exact some revenge against Michigan State on Saturday as the two tangle on Saturday in the first ever Big Ten Championship Game in Indianapolis.

Bret Bielema joined 1070 The Fan in Indianapolis with Dan Dakich to Wisconsin’s win over Penn State that advanced the Badgers to the conference championship game this coming weekend, how his defense has turned things around since the two losses in the middle stages of the season, the excitement surrounding the first ever Big 10 Championship Game, getting a shot at redemption against Michigan State in the title game, Montee Ball’s emergence in the Heisman race and why he’s not an advocate of a full-blown playoff system in college football.

On beating Penn State to get to the Big Ten title game:

“Our guys really, after the two back-to-back heartbreaking losses to Michigan State and Ohio State, our guys have played pretty well. I’ll take our team against any team in the country. We’ve just played well on offense; defense has done a nice job. I think we’re the only team in the country that’s in the top five of scoring offense and scoring defense.”

What happened to turn your defense around since those two losses?:

“I think our kids, probably a little more on defense than any other phase of the team, realized that every play matters. Both of those games they played pretty well except for maybe four or five plays and those four or five plays cost us big. … And we’ve also had some injuries. This has probably been the most injury-prone year I’ve had as a head coach. We lost our starting corner, our best defensive end, and those things take their toll.”

As a guy who played in the Big Ten and is now coaching there, how exciting is this game?:

“I’d be pulling your leg if I didn’t tell you that this is something I’ve had earmarked since the concept of getting a 12th team in the league. … It’s a very competitive league. People want to beat us up here and there, but it’s a league that you’ve got to show up ready to play every weekend. To get to the championship game, to have a rematch against Michigan State, to play in Indianapolis I think is going to be a great environment.”

Could it have played out any better to be back and have a shot against Michigan State, given how that game ended on the final play?:

“A lot of people are drawn to that. I think our kids are excited about the opportunity and to have Michigan State there, who I really do feel the two best teams in our league are represented in the championship game. … The winner of the game gets to go to the Rose Ball. That’s what’s at stake.”

On Montee Ball now being in the talk of the Heisman Trophy race:

“Montee has done a tremendous job. He’s got 34 touchdowns and over 1,600 yards rushing against some really good defenses in our league. To do it quietly, like he has, is just exceptional. … He’s five touchdowns away from breaking the all-time NCAA record set by Barry Sanders. He already has the Wisconsin record, already has the Big Ten record. … He’s only played in basically two fourth quarters.”

Do you wish there was a playoff in college football?:

“I think the world of college football maybe deserves a plus-one. I’ve always said that I really like the idea of 1 playing 4 and 2 playing 3 and the winner plays in a game. I know this, we’re playing our 13th game in 14 weeks. We’re not a professional football team. Our kids have class, they have academics. … If we put another four- or five-game schedule on our kids’ docket, it’s just unfair to them.”

Listen to Bret Bielema on 1070 The Fan in Indianapolis here

Kirk Cousins joined The Dan Patrick Show to talk about whether or not teachers ask him for tickets or an autograph, whether or not he was surprised that Wisconsin called a timeout when Michigan State had the ball on the final drive, on the conference realignment, what he saw on the Hail Mary to Keith Nichol, if he would’ve been prepared to go into overtime if the officials didn’t overturn the call on the field, what he thinks of Andrew Luck and some of the other quarterbacks in college football, and whether or not he thinks he can play at the next level.

Whether or not he has had professors ask for tickets or autographs:

“They’ve never asked for tickets but my professor on Tuesday morning, I had an 8 AM class, she said you know Kirk I don’t want to embarrass you but that was one of the most exciting games I’ve ever seen. She made the whole class applaud. I kinda felt bad if there were some kids in the class that didn’t want to applaud, she kinda made them.”

If he was surprised that Bret Bielema called timeout when Michigan State had the ball on the final drive:

“It was surprising. I would say that it’s a little bit against the grain to call a timeout there when you’re not in the two minute situation yourself. It was fortunate it worked out in our favor but I think what Coach Bielema was trying to do was put us in a fourth down punting situation and bring the house and block the thing.”

On the conference realignment taking place:

“No I think the landscape of college football is going to change over the next five to ten years. What I remember being college football growing up and what I remember having played and being a part of when I’m telling my kids about college football it will be a completely different scene. Who knows where we’re headed but it certainly looks like it’s gonna be two, three, or four super conferences that are really gonna be loaded with main teams.”

What he saw on the final Hail Mary play:

“From where I was from behind the 50 yard line I didn’t have an ability to really perceive the depth of how close Keith Nicol was to the goal-line when he tried to make the reach for the touchdown. I thought because they ruled it not a touchdown that we were two or three yards out. We were that close but we would have to go to overtime. I ran down to see where the ball was spotted and realized it was spotted on the one inch line so when it was spotted that close I knew we had a chance with a review and so I went over to some cameramen on the sideline who worked for the mothership and they told me they were hearing it was gonna be a touchdown. That’s when I started feeling really good about it.”

Whether or not he would’ve been okay with going into overtime:

“You would prefer to just end it right there and I was very thankful for replay but at the same time we felt good about what we were gonna be able to do in overtime with the defense that we have and the plays that we had left in our back pocket. Wisconsin was playing at a high level at that point and they were on their way back in the game and really had the momentum. The chance to end it right there was to our advantage.”

What he makes of Andrew Luck and other QB’s in college football:

“I was out at the Manning camp this summer early in July with everybody you named there and it was great to get to know those guys as people, not just football players. To be able to throw the ball next to them and pick their brains a little bit. They’re all very talented, it seems like it’s a loaded year for quarterbacks as most years are. I will say that Andrew Luck, great player, but the thing that I do have on him, I think I got him in the looks department and I think I got him in table tennis. I could take him any day in ping pong.”

Whether or not he thinks he can play at the next level:

“I think I can play next level. I think I can play next level, but I have a few more weeks to prove that to people and going on a show like this can help me get out there.”

Who he would give his Heisman Trophy vote to:

“I think there’s something special about Kellen Moore out there at Boise State. The way he just continually wins, puts up video game type numbers, and I spent a week with him at another camp and he was really impressive just in terms of his knowledge of the game and his ability to make great decisions which is what great quarterbacks do.”

Listen to Kirk Cousins on The Dan Patrick Show here

Tom Izzo joined WDFN in Detroit with Shep and Sharp to talk about how much more work is put in when preparing for a team they have not played, which player on UCLA poses the biggest mismatch, and how he tries to get his team to realize the NCAA tournament is like another season.

How much more work is put in when preparing for a team they have not played:

“Well it is a lot of fun Matt (Shepard) to be honest with you.  It is a fun time of year because you just try to watch everything you can watch.  I think we have 20-something films on UCLA and you realize that in the NCAA the chances of it coming down to a 3, 4, 5 point game are pretty good.  In saying that, that is the difference, can you figure out a way that maybe they don’t cut out well on free throws, maybe they don’t do this well, maybe they don’t do that well or maybe they do things real well that you can counter, you know, so that is the fun part of the NCAA tournament, but it usually comes down to kind of, who has the most energy?  Everybody is going to study everybody’s stuff, I think it comes down to, who has the most energy?  If the players’ talent are somewhat similar.”

Which player on UCLA poses the biggest mismatch:

“I think it is Honeycutt, he is 6’8’’.  Right now our wing guys are more 6’1’’, 6’3’’, 6’4 and I think Summers is going to have…  I don’t know why but I feel that this has been a tough year for Durrell, and I think he is going to bounce back, but him having to go against a 6’8’ guy is a little bit more difficult.  Last year we had Raymar Morgan, who was 6’8’’ himself.  The big guys inside we can rotate people, the guard guards with the quickness with Appling, and of course, Kalin, I think we can handle that, but it is a difficult matchup.  Penn State had a kid, Brooks, at 6’8’’ sometimes that gives us a little bit of a problem.”

How he tries to get his team to realize the NCAA tournament is like another season:

“Well you got to tune them out to the outside because that happens a lot, because they watch TV, they listen to the radio, they read the newspapers, they get twitter, and they get texts, they go through all that, but I think that is one thing.  The second thing is, what is unique about is, two years ago we went to the Final Four with a pretty good team.  Last year we went to the Final Four with a mass unit.  You look at three starters that could barely play in the Final Four because of injuries so they have seen it done both ways and, you know, we lost in the first round of the Big Ten tournament and made the Final Four, we have won the whole thing and made a Final Four, so when you have some history and tradition, and then you have players.  Don’t forget, we have six players that have been to two Final Fours, so I think you can go back to that, are you begging, borrowing and stealing a little bit?  But sure, that is what life is all about, trying to get people to live in the present and motivate them to understand when they can’t do something, and when they have already done it before in some ways it makes it a little easier.”

How he would describe how this season has gone:

“Frustrating would probably be the best word because not angered because angered means…when you are angry about something you usually can fix it when you are frustrated you are either not sure exactly what it is or you tried so hard to fix it that it gets frustrating you.  I think everybody looks at the Luscious and Allen thing, ‘Boy the turmoil on the basketball team and this and that’, you know there is a little bit of truth to that.  I think more of the injuries and everything we went through trying to figure out where Kalin was, Adreian Payne, a lot of guys early, and then we had that early schedule it made it so tough and you lose a lot of those games and you lose your confidence, so frustrating because I listen to everybody outside, I don’t blame them, I see their point, I listen to fans and alums, but nobody understands some of the things that we did not have control of that just happened, losing big games that hurts your confidence and all those injuries we had all summer hurts your confidence, so it has been a frustrating year in that respect but kind of rewarding in this respect, Matt, we bounced back.  The last 10 games we played a lot better basketball, we got our defense back track, and we are not as good offensively.  You can’t lose two of your shooters and be as good offensively, but you know what, we were not as good offensively getting into the NCAA tournament last year once we lost Lucas and Chris Allen was hurt and Delvon Roe was hurt. So a lot of ways to skin a cat and this team has been there before, I like where we are right now.  I would like to be much better in some areas but I like the opportunity we have, we are excited about it.  It is not just ho-hum; three weeks ago we did not think we would be in the tournament maybe…”

Tom Izzo on WDFN in Shep and Sharp

With NCAA Tournament Selection Sunday right around the corner, the Spartans are in an unfamiliar territory right now: on the bubble. Michigan State has a decent resume at this point and of course the Spartans also have program notoriety on their side helping them nab a bid. And if they get in the tournament, a Tom Izzo team can never be counted out. However, the Spartans have some work to do and an early exit from the Big Ten Tournament could mean that Michigan State’s tournament chances will be put on life support.

Tom Izzo joined 790 the Zone in Atlanta with Mayhem in the AM to talk about what has gone wrong this season for Michigan State, what he thinks of the way the Big Ten tournament is growing, and whether or not he does anything extra to motivate his team when March rolls around.

What went wrong this year for his team:

“I’ve caught the perfect storm. You can call it whatever you want and I’ve got a lot of words I couldn’t call it on the radio, but I think the most important part is it’s not like we’ve completely fallen under. We lost two key players. One Chris Allen from your area who started 29 games from last year and a very, very good player, one of our best defenders, and he was our best three point shooter. Then we lost another kid named Korie Lucious. Both of those were surprise losses and so that starts us off with our two best shooters in trouble. Then we’ve had a schedule from hell. We’ve had some injuries, especially (Kalin) Lucas, our point guard, who really wasn’t healthy with that Achilles until probably the middle of January. As bad as it looks, especially to people far away, our fans, and our media, for me it doesn’t feel good, but I have a better understanding of the situation. That being said I don’t think I’ve coached as well so I’m gonna take some of the blame and then we’ll see what we can do now that it’s March. It’s not like you turn on a switch or anything but these guys have been through a lot. We’ve had a ton of injuries. We’re not dead yet. We’ve got a lot of basketball hopefully left to play. It hasn’t been a standard year up here but it’s been a humbling experience and sometimes that’s not bad either.”

How he feels about the way the Big Ten tournament has gone recently:

“Well it hasn’t played out as well for us, but I think the tournament is growing. We’re not like the ACC or the Big East because they’ve had 100 years of it it seems. The Big East is a heck of a conference, but it’s a strange conference. You look at the Big East, they play three teams twice and 12 teams once. Whether you play the best teams on the road or at home or the worst teams on the road or at home, it could be a two, three, or four game swing. It’s hard to evaluate and we’re down to only playing two teams once although next year we go to four with the addition of Nebraska. That’s the one thing I hate about it, I don’t know how committees can look at things because it’s never apples to apples and it makes it a lot more difficult. In the conference tournament, I think we’ve got like eight teams who have beaten people in the top or bottom and seems like everybody is beating everybody this year. It’s gonna be really up in the air and I think it’s going to be a very exciting tournament.”

Whether or not he plays any certain cards to motivate his team more:

“I play any card I can play to get me better than we are. I’ve smacked video tapes and I’ve read poetry. I think every coach does some things. Two years ago it was watching ‘On Any Given Sunday.’ The hardest part is you’ve got to find something that appeases 13 guys. No matter what you do, you still have to have players do what they do. Motivating is one thing but if there’s no self-motivation it’s hard to get as far as you need to get. I think most of my teams have been pretty driven. This one has been a little crazier, but a lot of the reasons were the injuries. And then the Lucas factor. If you take a quarterback away from any team, they’re not going to be as good. That hurt us for two thirds of this year, but yet we are getting better with it, our defense has been better, and hopefully we will play good enough that I can talk to you guys again after Selection Sunday but we’ve got a ways to go.”

Listen to Tom Izzo on 790 the Zone in Atlanta here

Tom Izzo joined WXYT in Detroit with Stoney and Bill to talk about how tough this season has been to deal with, what is the toughest part about this season, what they have to do to gain their confidence back, and whether or not the struggles this year will make him start to re-evaluate things.

What has been the toughest part about this season:

“For me it’s probably not being able to help these guys get through all these things that they have been through yet. You go through so many different emotional things when you struggle and I can’t say I’m an expert at it because we have always lost some games and struggled, but it has snowballed a little bit more with maybe all the different things you’ve gone through. People want answers, especially on radio and that’s no insult or compliment to you, my wife, or the fans, people want answers. Sometimes the answers are it’s just been an accumulation of different things and some we have control of and some we don’t. That’s frustrating for me because I want to have an answer so it’s not just you, my wife, the media or the fans, but it’s me too. You feel like if you don’t have one specific one you’re not doing your job. That has been hard on me.”

What they have to do to get confidence back:

“You just gotta work your way out of it. A well known coach said to me the other day that boy you need a couple of games where you can blow somebody out and a guy could go 10 for 15 and I said yeah but we haven’t had that ability since our non-conference was so tough and I think it probably hurt us a little bit. Maybe it was in that. What’s odd about this year you throw that non-conference in with definitely the most competitive conference that I have ever been a part of here when you look at it top to bottom, it’s not just who beats who, but who is right in the games at the end. It’s been consistent that teams in the lower echelon have played with teams in the higher echelon all year long. Jud Heathcote said to me a couple of weeks ago that I look at the schedule of these teams and I never can put a win or loss next to anybody anymore. So confidence is gained, it’s not given, it’s earned, it’s not given. I think the only way you can do it is to work your way out of it. I’ve been fairly pleased with practices since Christmas. I think the biggest thing is if you’ve looked at it from the first half of the Big Ten to the second is what teams are shooting against us. How do you go from a 40 percent field goal defense to 55 in five or six games. That’s bizarre and that’s something that we have been working on and trying to work on even harder.”

Whether or not the struggles this year will force him to re-assess things like recruiting:

“It’s funny. Knee-jerk is a good example because is it really broke or is this an aberration? If I listened to everybody and I was a football coach I would go from a pro-set to an open offense to a wishbone to a grind it out and I would change. I have good friends of mine that want me to press, want me to do this and play zone, and do that. I think that’s the worst thing coaches can do is change who they are, what they are, and what they’ve built. I’ve always said that when people were ready to canonize what we were even a couple of years ago I said we had to go ten years to be able to be thought of in that upper-echelon of teams which there are maybe10 or 12 of, but then to get to those four or five, the Duke’s, Kentucky’s, Carolina’s and Kansas’s it’s another 20 years. It’s funny. To build tradition it takes years, but when something goes wrong it takes days. I’m not going to look at it that way and I can’t look at it that way. Do you change? Of course. You look at it, you modify and just like we did with our country four years ago, the stock market goes down and everybody figures out new ways that they have to do, but they don’t change their principles and what they really think. They just tweak it. Would I tweak some things? Sure but why would I change my recruiting base when people fly into Detroit to recruit. The last thing as far as one and done, I would take any one and done player I could get. I don’t shy away from them. I wouldn’t want a whole team of them like Kentucky, but I love Jason Richardson and Zach Randolph, those guys were great. I wouldn’t shy away from that if it helps me win and they want to be a part of a program, but I wouldn’t be as interested in a guy that’s coming and saying I’m leaving this year. That’s not what those guys did. If it ends up turning out that way then great because that means he’s had success and we’ve probably had some success.”

Listen to Tom Izzo on WXYT in Detroit here

Kirk Cousins joined WDFN in Detroit with Art Regner and Larry Lage to talk about playing in the Capital One Bowl as opposed to the Rose Bowl, the lack of respect that Michigan State has gotten this year, the injury to leading wide receiver B.J. Cunningham, and the reputation of the Big Ten conference and the importance of bowl games to the conference rep.

On whether or not they are disappointed to not be in a more high profile bowl game:

“No. Not at all. We’re very excited to be down here and we had a great first day yesterday. Had a good practice and then enjoyed some free time down here in Orlando. There are a lot of attractions and fun things to do down here. It’s a great bowl destination and we’re obviously playing a great opponent in Alabama.”

On Michigan State not getting very much respect nationally:

“I think I’ve been bombarded with that question not only for this bowl game but all season and even seasons past. I think that’s something that Michigan State has had to answer and every team has to answer. No matter what game it is we’re always trying to gain and earn respect whether it’s from our own fans or from the state or the nation. Now with the season that we’ve had we’ve turned more to the national spotlight and trying to show people that we’re not just a great program, but an elite program.”

On the injury to B.J. Cunningham and how much that will affect the team in the bowl game:

“One of the things that we’ve talked about all season that has made us successful is the depth that we have at a lot of positions, but receiver is probably the strongest. It hurts to lose B.J. especially when he’s statistically our leading receiver on the entire season and we’re excited he will be back for next season, but we have a lot of depth. We have Keyshawn Martin, Mark Dell, Keith Nicol, and Bennie Fowler came onto the scene midway through the season and did a tremendous job for us. We have plenty of guys who can make plays, stretch the field, and get separation, it’s just a matter of me getting them the ball.”

On the Big Ten’s reputation nationally and how important success in the bowl game is for the conference:

“I think there’s some of that but I also think every year Big Ten teams go to bowl games and they have an opportunity to prove everybody wrong. I think last year the Big Ten did a good job of winning their bowl games and being competitive in the ones where we were underdogs. There are some great matchups this year and there are a lot of games that can go either way which is pretty typical in college football in general. We will just have to wait and see how it unfolds but the Big Ten, like every year has a chance to show the nation what kind of conference we have. We’re probably right up there at the top in terms of being able to show what this conference is all about going up against an Alabama team that is very talented.”

Listen to Kirk Cousins on WDFN in Detroit here

When the Spartans open Big Ten play this week, they’ll do so as one of just four teams with four losses or more. However, there really isn’t a bad loss on the schedule. Michigan State has fallen to perennial powers Connecticut, Duke and Syracuse. Perhaps the most troubling one defeat is their most recent. It still came against a pretty good Texas team, but Sparty fell by double digits at home to end non-conference play.

Not to fear, Izzo says. He believes his team will be ready come March. Isn’t it always? And he doesn’t shy away from calling other Big Ten teams out for not scheduling like he does.

Tom Izzo joined WDFN in Detroit with Art Regner and Larry Lage to discuss his team’s hurdles up to this point, the fans being nervous, being known only as a team that plays well in March, if he’ll dumb down his schedule, Nebraska joining the Big Ten and how hoops coaches have had no say in how things are being handled and to handicap the Big Ten race.

On getting his team to mesh and get healthy during a short break before Big Ten season:

“It’s very critical. Mesh, gel and get healthy, I think those are the three things. … I don’t think there’s been a more important [break] in my career as far as that goes, just because we’ve always flourished over Christmas, we’ve always got some things done. But very seldom do we have to gain a base for our conditioning and things like that. We just have to do that this time. This one isn’t anyone’s fault, it’s just the cards we were dealt.”

On whether fans should worry when they feel like they never have to:

“I don’t want people to think that we’re playing for March and we bag the preseason tournament and things like that. I think our biggest problem, over the years, is we’ve always played a more difficult schedule, we’ve always played more road games, we’ve always travelled more, and no matter what we always have two or three losses.”

On being known as a postseason team:

“I don’t want to be known as a team that plays in March, only. I want to be known as a team that plays in November, December, January. Yet, if you look at the years, I think we have more than people think, I think we’ve just played in some tough environments that a lot of teams in college basketball don’t do. There’s a lot of Big Ten teams this year that haven’t done it. We’ve paid the price for doing it.”

On possibly changing his tune on future non-conference schedules:

“I don’t want to dumb down my schedule. No, I’m not going to do that. But this year is an example of probably a week less time to practice in the preseason and then we’re on 12,000 miles of travel. I think that’s set us back a little bit, so far, but I still think it will help us in the end.”

On Nebraska joining the Big Ten and why the league won’t go to two divisions in hoops:

“I’m sad to say that we’ve had absolutely no discussion or say on it and I think that’s wrong, personally. But I do not like when the schedule makes for the conference champ, and I think that happens when you have four games the way that you’re going to have to play them and too many teams you don’t play twice and what an advantage that can be. I don’t like that personally. I don’t know if they could even up the divisions and how they could do that. … It’ll be interesting to see how that plays out, but it is going to be different.”

On the beginning of the Big Ten race:

“First of all, I’m kind of disappointed that it starts so early. … It makes it very difficult to try to have Christmas and do the things you hope student-athletes get to do. I think that’s a little tough, but I think the race is up in the air. Right now, I think you have to make Ohio State the favorite. Purdue will still be awfully good and I still think Illinois. But Minnesota has come on strong, Michigan’s playing better, Wisconsin’s playing better, Northwestern is a very good team. … Right now, the parity in college basketball, I don’t think there is a great team right now.”

Listen to Tom Izzo on WDFN in Detroit here

Irving scored 31 points as the top-ranked Blue Devils beat Michigan State 84-79 on Wednesday.

As you’ll see in the following interview, while the Spartans lost, they learned some lessons, including where Izzo wants to take his program as he admits wanting to take it to the level that Duke is at.

Tom Izzo joined 790 the Zone in Atlanta with Mayhem in the AM to discuss the loss to Duke, his relationship with Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski, taking his players through Krzyzewskiville, who he shares championship rings with, Michigan State football not making a BCS game and his relationship with Nick Saban.

On what he takes away from a close loss to Duke in which Irving scored 31:

“You think he’s a hell of a player, that’s for sure. Irving is a great player and we made him even greater than he is. I say that only because … he got 13 [points] at the free throw line. You can’t let that happen, that’s for sure. On that night, he played very well against a very good player and I think it was maybe more him than us. … I was actually quite pleased with our defense other than our turnovers which led to poor defense.”

On his relationship with Mike Krzyzewski:

“I think its our Polish-Italian backgrounds, you know? No, but he’s a Midwest guy, too, and Mike’s a guy that I got to know very early in my career and I’ve always had great respect for what they’ve done. They’ve been a program that’s done it athletically and academically and socially and done it with class and without cheating, all the things that you really respect about somebody. I think the greatest respect I have for him, the greatest compliment that I can give to him, is they just never get upset. … I like having him as a friend because it keeps me motivated to accomplish some of the things that I don’t think we have accomplished yet.”

On taking his players through Krzyzewskiville:

“My AD helped with that a little bit. He just talked to me about, we went there the night before … and there’s a mystique. There’s a mystique to Cameron and there’s a mystique to the Cameron Crazies. So we went there the night before so they could get the mystique of the arena out of their minds. And on the day of the game, when we had our shootaround, I wanted two things: I wanted to get the mystique of the Cameron Crazies out of our mind a little bit, but also, I have respect for that, too. We have a student group here and we camp out with them and I wanted our guys to see what some of the other great programs do.”

On who he shares his Big Ten championship rings with:

“Well, my guy that takes care of the floor and our janitor are a couple of the guys that do, along with our managers. … I just feel that it’s normally the lowest people on the totem pole that have sometimes the most significant impact on your program. We have some great people here that maybe let guys in late at night to get into the arena while they’re cleaning the building, this and that, things that are a little bit beyond the call of duty. So I make sure that if we win championships, they’re part of the ring ceremony.”

On Michigan State football not getting a BCS bowl bid:

“I don’t know if raw end of the deal. It’s a bizarre situation. We beat Wisconsin and yet I think Wisconsin is ranked where they should be. I think if you look at Ohio State, they’ve just been doing it for a longer time and they have a very good program. I wouldn’t say a raw end of the deal, I’d say there were three very good teams in the Big Ten and somebody had to not make the BCS game. And you say, ‘Well, why Michigan State?’ Well, Wisconsin, even though we beat them, took care of the business they had to take care of and Ohio State has been a good program.”

On his relationship with former Michigan State coach Nick Saban:

“Nick was here as an assistant when I was an assistant here and then we became head coach at the same time. I love Nick. He’s a guy that him and I have been good friends for those years and we kind of built this thing together, did a lot of recruiting together, speaking together. Unfortunately he left. I think if Nick would’ve stayed here, I swear we would’ve [fill in the blank since Izzo didn't]. … Nick Saban is one of my good friends and a guy I have incredible respect for. I’m prejudice but I think he’s the best football coach in the country.”

Listen to Tom Izzo on 790 the Zone in Atlanta here