EAST LANSING When Nick Sanders checks into a game, that’s usually a good sign for the Spartans. The walk-on senior guard burying a 3-pointer immediately after getting on the court was the final exclamation point as No. 17 Michigan State (5-0) rolled to an 84-56 win against Detroit Mercy on Friday night at the Breslin Center. Here are notable quotes from coach Tom Izzo and players following the victory: Izzo on following an 83-66 win against No. 12 Kentucky on Tuesday in the Champions Classic with a victory against the Titans: “I just didn’t think we played as good as we can play so we’ll get better.” Jeremy Fears, who scored a career-high 18 points to go with 11 assists, on sparking the team with his shot and passing: “Somehow, someway making sure we get a bucket kinda to stop the bleeding, stop their run.” Izzo on Fears, who put together his second double-double of the season: “I think he’s just starting to come into his own.” Coen Carr on scoring 11 of his 13 points in the first half after scoring only six against Kentucky: “I was definitely trying to be aggressive in the beginning. Fears set me up for some nice plays, I got two open 3s. I was just trying to be confident in myself, that’s all they’ve been telling me.” Izzo on his team putting up some ugly misses: “We airballed some wide-open shots, I mean airballed them. If you ask me, the guy that should be upset is Fears not me, he would have had 15, 16 assists tonight if they just hit regular shots.” Sanders on knocking down a 3-pointer immediately after checking in late in the second half: “Coach gives us the opportunity to play at the end and we try to take advantage of those moments.” Carson Cooper on Sanders taking a shot: “We said we were going to beat him up if he came in one of these games like this and didn’t get aggressive like he does on scout team when we play against him because he scores so much on scout and he hits shots on scout team.” Izzo on Cooper and Fears connecting on alley-oops: “Him and Jeremy are lethal on that lob stuff.”.
https://www.mlive.com/spartans/2025/11/overheard-in-michigan-states-locker-room-lethal-on-the-lob-and-a-physical-threat.html
