Kohler Speaks on How the Spartans are Handling the Pressure
The No. 2-seeded Michigan State Spartans (29-6) are hours away from squaring off with the No. 6-seeded Ole Miss Rebels (24-11) in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament, and the pressure is beginning to mount for each team still dancing.
Spartans junior forward Jaxon Kohler spoke to the media earlier this week following practice, being asked about how he and his team are not allowing the moment to overwhelm them and get too big. He spoke on how head coach Tom Izzo is able to keep his team level-headed before a huge game.
Izzo has now been to a total of 16 Sweet 16s in his 30-year career at the helm of Michigan State while Kohler has only played in one, the most of any Spartan including senior guard Jaden Akins. There is a heightened sense of emotion and will-to-win once you reach that second weekend.
“He [Izzo] makes sure to let us know that it’s not too big a moment, he doesn’t make us extra nervous about what’s at stake,” Kohler said when he addressed the media this week. “He does a really good job of simplifying it to, ‘Hey, win or go home,’ and take that as you want it. I feel like everyone that’s in this program is strong enough, mentally, to realize like he’s not putting extra pressure on us.”
Kohler offered a phrase that his head coach has been preaching to his team all week long. Pressure is something that is going to build after every win, entering the next round closer to the ultimate goal. In win-or-go-home mode, Kohler and his team are not ready to end their season early against the Rebels.
“There is a lot of pressure, but pressure is what you make it out to be, and he [Izzo] said that before,” Kohler said. “He said, ‘Pressure is whatever you make it out to be,’ so whether it’s a good thing or bad thing, this is just reality.
” … I think all of us players know that there’s just as much on the line, but there’s also just as much motivation to win that next game and we want to keep playing. We want to be one of those teams that makes it to the very end and has a really amazing outcome and win a championship.”
Tip-off is set for Friday at 7:09 p.m. ET at State Farm Arena in Atlanta. Coverage of the game will be presented by CBS.
