There are only two teams in the top twenty five that have at least seven players averaging seven points per game. Arizona's one of them. Michigan State University is the other. One of their assistant coaches, Saudi Washington, should be a head coach somewhere in this country, but we're glad that he's in the state of Michigan. His daughter's very talented gymnast, and he's with us here on Exis and bros. On this Friday morning. Sadi, my friend, how are you good
morning sheep? How are you, my man? I'm doing great, buddy. It's great to hear your voice. I'm so happy for your success. It doesn't surprise me, but really happy. Why is your team so good? Do you think this year? What makes them tick?
You know what? I think we have really embraced this idea of just trying to be different in today's culture. We really have bought into the strength and numbers concept, which leads to the the versatility of our team, our ability to kind of mix and match our rotation, you know,
based on what the game needs. And you know, they've just done a really good job of just of just sacrificing for one another for the bigger calls, which you and I both know isn't always the easiest thing to do to convince a bunch of eighteen to twenty two year os to do.
Yeah, it's also not easy to have them buy in on a night to night basis for defense. And yet your guys do that. You are I would consider you guys an elite defensive team. How are you able to get them to care so much on that end of the floor.
Well, I mean that starts with the leadership. I mean that's always been a staple of a time as OH coach basketball team, toughness, rebounding, defending, and running. And so that's one of those non negotiables around here in terms of how we prepare, and our guys do a really really good job of a really investing time in the preparation, because you know, that's where it really starts, to be honest.
Show Saudi Washington, assistant coach, Michigan State University joining is here on exis and broths. There's only one team in the nation that has ten players averaging fifteen minutes or more per game, and that's your team. How challenging is that for you to keep eight everybody happy and find the rhythm. And you know this because you played at the collegiate level. How hard is it to create that rhythm for guys if they're not logging the type of minutes that many times they were used to before.
Yeah, you know, I think it's one of those things we really kind of stumbled upon this past summer when we were able to go on our foreign trips over to Spain and you know, like the distribution of minutes there, you're just trying to get everybody minutes play and find
the rhythm. And then you know, we kind of discovered like, wow, you know, we got a really talented roster and the way that we want to play in terms of applying pressure defensively and playing fast offensively, Well, if you're doing your job like you're supposed to, you're probably not going to be able to, you know, play extended minutes and still be really efficient, you know, on both ends of the floor. So you know, it kind of was a
trial and everything that happened this summer. Then obviously winning helps, you know, with the buy in a lot quicker, and guys are really adjusted, made the right adjustment for themselves personally for us to be really effective thus far this season.
It's such an interesting path you have. And I've said this before. I don't say it just because you're the on our show right now. You should be a head coach somewhere and you will be. But you have learned from some of the best coaches I would argue in college basketball history. Greg Campy at Oakland, John Beeline at Michigan and now Tommy Izzo at Michigan State. What do those three men have in common that makes them great coaches?
And what is perhaps one specific thing you will use when you become a head coach from each of those guys.
Yeah, well, you know, and I wouldn't exclude you on because you know, I've been really fortunate and spoiled to work with some really really good folks, and with each one of them thus far, we've had a lot of success in winning winning championships, and I hope to bring that here in East Lansingwood. Coach is though, who I've known since I was fourteen fifteen years old. But one of the consistent characteristics of the things, and they're kind
of each individual. You know, Campy, you know, he's a guy that allows you know, the players to be their authentic self. You know, from an offensive standpoint value shooting, you know, similar with Coach b Uh. But in terms of like day to day preparation, you know, Coach b Coachwan obviously coach is a Hall of fame coach. The preparation that goes into building great teams is critical and not missing the details on both ends of the floor, on and off the court, because there's a lot of
carryover in that. And you know what I've learned is, you know, if you hold up a high expectation to the young man in the States to the accountability part of it, if you got the right guys in the locker room, some really good things can happen.
And I love the tough love coaching the Tomzwell develops and has done, and Greg Campy has done it, and John Beelin has done it as well. A couple more, just real quick, because I know you've got film and you've got things that you've got to do. I could keep you for a long time. Went on, Oh man, I was watching it on when you call, I bet, I bet that never stops. And I hope your family's doing well. Not everything is rose even though you got
twenty one wins and twelve conference wins. Three point shooting is a problem for Michigan State, no question, right. I would guess that as long as you're taking good shots, you guys can live with it. But what's the problem with a three point shooting from MSU And how do you overcome that when the NCAA tournament comes around?
Yeah, you know, I would call it. I would reframe that and just say it's a work in progress. We have capable shooters in that locker room the guys. Is not because of a lack of effort, is not because of a lack of work. You know, you just we just really have to get more consistent in terms of, you know, getting our legs up into our shot, finding the right shots, like you said earlier, because you could take a lot of bad shots and that obviously lowers
the percentages. But you know, within the floor of the offense, not press and being confident in the work that you put in beforehand and just really stepping in and believing in yourself and taking the right shots. Yes, you know, come March, you know, come postseason play, that's where it really becomes critical in the ability to win games at a high level. You know when when everything is on the line for one night.
What will be most important tonight, especially against those two outstanding bigs and Danny wilsm flag Olden, who are are kind of unique because they're not always back to the basket guys.
Yeah, you know, I think it's they're a really good team. You know, their their staff has done a really good job of assembling the right roster, and you know, the offense that they run. You know, we just have to play spartan basketball. At the end of the day. We have to defend, we have to run, we have to rebound, and you know, then we go on the other hand, we got to make shots. So I really think it's going to be more about our habits being better than their habits over a longer period of time.
I don't want to sound too old, but are your daughters in college? Are they performing in the gymnastics in college?
Yeah? So, my my daughter Sidney, whose birthday is Sunday, pretty happy birthday birth she's a gymnast at Ohio State. They actually she actually competes tomorrow at Penn State. And then my son Calob who you probably remember, well, that's junior in high school and he's a trick. He's a track guy. He has a big tru state.
I can't believe you. I can't believe your daughter is in college. I remember, I remember talking with your beautiful wife and your kids so long ago. And when I thought I had read she's I thought she started a pet. I could be wrong there, but she did.
Ye started that pit?
She did? Okay, good.
I was Ohio State last year. Yeah, and she's a now wow man.
And I know you and your wife. I mean, your wife was such a champion, traveling all over the country with the gymnastics, and you were always keeping up with it. So I'm glad she's living that dream. It's it's awesome to talk to you. I'm so happy for you that you're doing so well, but even happier for Michigan State fans so they get to see you on a regular basis do the thing that you do so well. Congratulations, good luck tonight, and we hope we can see each other soon.
All right, yep, I appreciate you, brother,