John Calipari Touts Michigan State’s Physicality, Tom Izzo Ahead of Champions Classic Clash
Izzo #Izzo
Physicality is the word that comes to mind for head coach John Calipari when asked about No. 4 Kentucky’s upcoming opponent, Michigan State.
Indianapolis will play host to the latest meeting between the Wildcats and Spartans in the Champions Classic, a game that has Calipari unsure what to expect from his team.
As for Michigan State, he has a clear expectation for what head coach Tom Izzo’s squad will bring to the table:
“If you’re not ready for a war, this isn’t the game. This is gonna be — they fly up and down the court, they get it in quick, they rebound it and run, they’ve got good post-up players at three different positions. All three can post you. They’re good.”
Three seniors and a pair of juniors make up a solid starting five that nearly led Sparty to a big win over No. 2 Gonzaga last weekend. Defense won’t be at a premium, but easy buckets for the Wildcats will be when the teams clash for the first time since 2019.
“They’re physical. They do a great job of pick-and-roll, spacing the court, their four can really shoot —(Joey) Hauser is a terrific shooter. Their guard is a downhill runner, he just comes right at you and leads with elbows and knees. It’s a typical Tom Izzo-coached team,” Calipari said. “When they screen, they screen… It’ll be exciting, it’ll be a hard game for us. I’m gonna say it again I have no idea what to expect.”
Calipari again harped on the physical prowess that the Spartans possess, noting all of the important traits they carry that will provide Kentucky a litmus test for where it stands through three games in the 2022-23 regular season:
“The game is gonna be physical,” he said. “The guys on my team that are physical will have the best opportunity. And in this kind of game, if a guy struggles physically, next game. Cause this is hand-to-hand combat, the way they play. They wedge, they tip out if you don’t grab balls with two hands you’re not getting them. One of the best offensive rebounding teams in the country, they fly up and down. They had Gonzaga beat, if you watched the game they should have won that game. Now they’re a top 20 team, which they were at the beginning. They’re big. So, they’re good.”
As for Izzo, he was just as complimentary of the Wildcats:
“This is the best Kentucky team I’ve seen,” he said. He would go on to joke that “it’s almost illegal” that the Cats have so many seniors.
Both teams are set to learn quite a bit about themselves as they do battle inside Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Tip off is set for 7 p.m. EST tonight and will air on ESPN.
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