Here’s video of John Beilein’s post-game press conference after completing the sweep of Michigan State. His team beat the Spartans in Crisler Arena 70-63. Notes and quotes are after the jump.
- “When you have a week off, you hope to get out to a good start and that your guys are ready.” Said the good start held up despite Michigan State’s ability to score and rebound. “We made just enough shots to win and we beat a very good team.”
- “We’ve loved these kids.” Said he thinks the bonding that occurred in Europe is showing through now and that his pride in the team has been pretty constant throughout the season. “They’re in it for each other, and that makes a big difference.”
- On getting past the Wisconsin defeat and winning two straight to end the regular season: “It’s a coach’s job to get them to move on, but you’ve got to have young men who are willing to move on.”
- On the defense: “I really love what we had from Stu Douglass and Darius Morris.” Both were “very sick” for the game.
- On how this affects recruiting: “Michigan State does a wonderful job recruiting, and I believe in the fututre we’ll be doing a wonderful job recruiting … We want guys who’ll come running through those doors because they want to come to the University of Michigan.”
- On Evan Smotrycz: he did “almost no” work in the post in September/October because they were trying to get him ready to play as a perimeter four. In the past month and a half, they’ve focused on developing his post game and it’s showed.
- On NCAA Tournament chances: “You never want to say one game puts you in until it’s all said and done … We’ll find out. We won’t hurry that.” Likes that whoever Michigan plays in the Big Ten Tournament will also be playing their first game.
- Could he see a fifth-place (possibly fourth) finish when his team was sitting at 1-6 in the Big Ten? “No, I couldn’t have seen that … I felt strongly that our team could compete with anybody in the league.”
- On Tim Hardaway Jr.’s spurt in the second half: “That’s the way he’s been. He’s ready to roll coming back out there.”
- On whether of not the rivalry is back: “4-18. That was the record (Michigan vs. Michigan State) since the late 90’s.” Said there’s a “lot of evening up to go.”
- Jon Horford wasn’t able to go with a bruised knee.
