Wisconsin Postgame Quotes
Wisconsin vs. Michigan State
January 17, 2016
Kohl Center - Madison, Wis.
 
UW Head Coach Greg Gard
 
Opening Statement:
"Well, obviously for our guys to be able to continue to work and get a win and grow and learn as they have over the last four or five weeks. I always thought that they were making steps in the right direction, it was just a matter of continuing to be consistent to be able to continue executing at a higher level, which we've been working on. I thought for the most part we did that today. I thought we were far from perfect on the glass, they had 15 offensive rebounds, but that's obviously Michigan State and it's a big part of their DNA and how they play. I thought it was a great atmosphere. Just happy for our guys to win and find a way to be able to rally from down five or whatever it was with three minutes to go and for our two leaders, Nigel (Hayes) and Bronson (Koenig), because they're in a position where they've never not had any seniors on the court. So for them, their roles and identities have changed and that's been a whole season thing and obviously numbers are one thing, but I'm happy how they've handled the locker room and they're continuing to be messengers for the coaching staff. Just for the whole group for how they've bonded and become tighter and tighter as we've moved forward. Like I said, I'm just happy for our guys and happy for our fans."
 
On Bronson Koenig:
"This is part of Bronson's growing process. I've asked him to be more aggressive with the ball and play more north and south and not as much east and west. Some of the things we've added offensively we did for him and tried to encourage that mindset. We've looked at a lot of times on film where he could've done this and we tweaked some things to really put that on his plate and ask that of him. That's part Bronson to continue and part us where we see we need to get better."
 
Bronson Koenig
 
On the final sequence of the game:
"I just got the ball from whoever passed it inbounds and ran a double screen high and coming across the screen I could see that [Ethan Happ] was going to be open because they all kind of ran with me and Vitto (Brown). It was kind of a late pass because he was open a little sooner and my guy was in front of me, so I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to give it to him on time, but I just took another dribble and lofted it over the guy and luckily he caught it and I knew he was going to finish it."
On postgame discussion in the locker room after the recent loss at Northwestern:
"We came together as a unit and told each other we kind of had to play for one another. I thought we had some good dialogue in the locker room after that game and kind of let all of our emotions out. I think that really helped us today. I think we knew that if we want to win, we have to do it together and I think we did that today."
 
Ethan Happ
 
On the final sequence of the game:
"Bronson (Koenig) came off and they were driving with him and Vitto (Brown), and like [Bronson] said, he made a great pass. Once I caught it the first time I got hit in the back and I bobbled the ball and then I caught it again. I looked up and I was under the rim, so I had to pivot again and then score a reverse layup and then spread back out on defense."
 
On his feelings after the game:
"Just pure joy, really. We've been on the wrong side when Melo (Trimble) hit that three (vs. Maryland). We've had a couple of tough losses in a row, then to beat a tough team like Michigan State it was really joyful to share that with my teammates."
 
Nigel Hayes
 
On the importance of making free throws:
"It is extremely important. We were told before going in, we knew going in that we had to match their toughness because they usually are the type of team that will prey on a weaker team. If you flinch you get laid down and they will run over you and we matched that. We tried to turn our aggression against them and we shot a hefty amount of free throws. There's a saying that goes, 'If you make more free throws than the other team shoots, you will usually win,' and we did that."
 
Michigan State Head Coach Tom Izzo
 
Opening statement:
"One of the stranger games I've ever played in. I think the young coach outcoached the old coach. We didn't execute the things we had to do down the stretch. We had some things we wanted to do and we didn't do them. It's not very often that you outshoot a team from the field, from the three-point line, almost from the free throw line—of course we didn't have as many—turn the ball over nine times and lose. One of the strangest games I've ever coached in. I take my hat off to them. (Bronson) Koenig is a Spartan killer. He did the same thing in the Big Ten tournament that he did today. He hit two big 3s. I thought (Denzel) Valentine had a pretty good hand up on both of them. Tum Tum (Nairn Jr.) is out for a while and the freshmen came in and actually guarded [Koenig] better than my upperclassmen did. They made some big shots and they made a lot of free throws and that was the difference in the game."