Postgame Notes and Quotes:Michigan State

Postgame Notes
*-Trey McGowens’ 20-point performance was a season high, topping his 19-point effort against North Dakota State on Nov. 18. It marked his eighth career 20-point effort, including his time at Pittsburgh
*-Teddy Allen posted his team-best fifth 20-point game of the season with 23 points, including 19 in the second half. He has reached double figures in all 11 games
*-Nebraska’s two 20-point scorers marked the first time this year NU had multiple 20-point efforts in a game. It marks the first time NU has had multiple 20-point efforts since Dec. 13, 2019 (at Indiana)
*-Kobe Webster had 10 points and went over 1,500 career points tonight, including his time at Western Illinois
*-Nebraska falls to 0-5 against ranked teams and finished a stretch of four straight opponents to begin Big Ten play. It was the first time in program history that Nebraska has had four straight ranked opponents to begin conference action
*-Nebraska out-rebounded MSU, 31-29, the seventh time in 11 games NU out-rebounded its opponent.
 
Nebraska Head Coach Fred Hoiberg
On how the team performed
"First and foremost, I thought our energy was phenomenal tonight. I thought it was where it needed to be to have a chance to win that game. Against a team like this coming off three losses, which doesn't happen to Tom Izzo's teams very often, they had a week to prepare and I knew they were going to come out hard and play with great energy. But I thought we really battled them and fought all the way through it even when we had the bad stretch which continues to be a theme for our team the start of the second half to allow them to stretch the lead then we figure out to get back in the game. We have to figure that out. So that would be one of the frustrating things, continuing to come out and I didn't like the energy. I don't think Teddy [Allen] came out with the right mentality (at the start of the second half) and we got him out then when we put him back in, he was unbelievable. He's as good as he's been all season. We just had to find a way to get the full 40 minutes everybody being on the same page. We talked about three things in this game. Transition defense, which they exposed us in that area, especially during that run. Offensive rebounds which we were phenomenal in the first half, only giving them one offensive rebound. But we gave them eight in the second. Two critical ones there in the end. We just turned our head and a lot of line for them to get in there and get the put back a five-point game. You get that and you come down and you score, get it to one possession and it could've been a different outcome. Then the turnovers. We continue to turn it over too many times, but again our energy was outstanding, and I thought we got the ball to the right guys when they had it going with Trey [McGowens] and Teddy [Allen], specifically. Kobe [Webster] was really good for us off the bench. Lat [Mayen] unfortunately fouled out in the fifteen minutes, but for him to step up and knock down that out-of-bounds play we ran for him in the corner was huge for him to knock that down and get two out of three. Just again we've got to find a way to play a complete 40 minutes, but I thought we took a step in the right direction tonight."
 
On Dalano Banton
"They did. Dalano [Banton] I thought, you look at his numbers, he had seven assists. I thought he did a good job of finding guys. We shot almost 50 percent from the field, 53 in the second half and almost 50 from the three. I thought Dalano did a good job recognizing guys who had the hot hands tonight and getting them the ball. Would like to clean up the four turnovers that he had, but Dalano, I thought, had a solid game as far as his playmaking is concerned. He's going to get a lot of attention because of the type of numbers he's putting up, but from a playmaking standpoint I thought he was excellent."
 
On Trey McGowens
"Trey [McGowens] was phenomenal pretty much start to finish. He had a couple where he got a little out of control. One turnover where he drove into three guys, but that's how he got himself going. That's how he got the team going with his aggressive attack tonight. We cleared out the right side of the floor for him. He went in and had a highlight dunk. I love Trey's mentally and if we can continue to get him to do that, he's shooting the ball very well, knocked down both of his threes again tonight. I'd like him to continue to hunt that with the way he's shooting the ball. That's the time where I think he gets himself in a little bit of trouble when he turns that down and maybe drives it into the crowd. But overall, Trey, I thought, played his most complete game. I thought his aggressiveness and his attack was exactly where it needed to be."
 
On his takeaway from this game
"It's a step in the right direction for sure, there's no doubt about that and that was the big thing tonight I talked to them about. Whether you win or lose, you come out and play with tremendous energy which I thought we did with exception from that one little stretch. You've got to look at this thing big picture. We just finished playing our fourth ranked team in a row in this league and I thought we battle harder and were more physical. I though Yvan [Ouedraogo] was really good. I thought he was much better than he was against Ohio State where I thought he just gave ground in there as the game wore on. We get Derrick [Walker] back next game, that will help. We'll get another physical body in there. Now, he's probably not going to be ready to play a ton of minutes, but it'll be good to have Derrick back on the floor for us to add more physicality and more size out there for us. But, 100 percent we took a step in the right direction tonight playing a team that was coming off three losses in a row. Had a week to prepare. You can see obviously what they talked about from an energy standpoint, but I thought we matched them for the most part."
 
Michigan State Head Coach Tom Izzo
On the team’s performance
“I'm not as happy as I should be. We won a game. But at the same time, we had a 17-18 point lead and we have to figure out a way to get through that. There were some really good things. Aaron (Henry) Aaron was, I thought, the best game of his life here. Because it wasn't just his offense. Really pleased with Aaron. Thought Josh (Langford) started out driving the ball, making some good plays. I was pleased with him. I thought A.J. (Haggard) played pretty good for his first start, but he's got to play defense too and that's what we're working on. I thought Rocket (Watts) did a good job considering. It’s not easy to just come off the bench. I thought he was good. Gabe (Brown) did what he could do. I wasn't as happy with our bigs. Malik (Hall) did okay. Joey (Hauser) struggled. Got a tooth knocked out and that probably had something to do with it. But I wasn't as happy with our bigs, but they put a line up in there at five guards sometimes and that made it difficult. We got our first win. We're going to have to get a lot better. We did some good things, but we are still not defending like I think we're capable.”
 
On Aaron Henry’s performance
“I just told him that he did what we've been telling him to do. He drove the ball went. He went off two feet. He has worked hard on his shooting. Tonight, he made some threes, but without those threes he still has 20 points. The other things he did, I mean, he’s getting to be now my best lockdown defender. That’s what I thought would make him more of a Gary Harris-type player. I was pleased with him and I think he was pleased. I think he understands that those are the things you got to do if you're going to be a big-time player. Aaron was a stabilizing factor. He was the best player and that's when he should be and I was pleased with Aaron.”
 
On guys being more aggressive at the basket
“We had 13 free throws in the first half and I thought we were very aggressive early. Then I thought the second half we came out like gangbusters and then we went very passive and we didn't shoot free throws again until the very end of the game. So that was disappointing. That's what I'm trying to teach these guys. We are at Michigan State. We're not finishing the job right now. A 17-point lead should end up 30, especially the way we're playing. We came out, gave up a couple of threes and just let the team shoot too well against us. We’ve got to change that.”
 
On Thomas Kithier’s performance
“(Thomas) Kithier has been my most solid steady player. He’s the smartest guy because he's the veteran. He knows how to guard things and play things, although he made a big mistake on a three they hit late. But they were in there sometimes at the end with five guards in there, so that was a little difficult for us. He only had four rebounds, but I think you're right. His defense was pretty good, and I think he had a couple of big plays. So, I was pleased with Thomas.”
NU Athletic Communications