Future is unclear for Joseph

EAST LANSING - Michigan State coach Tom Izzo confirmed Wednesday that he and sophomore guard Maurice Joseph are discussing the prospect of Joseph transferring from MSU.

"We're gonna sit down and talk about what he wants to do," Izzo said. "I think he wants to stay here and I think I want him to stay here. ... (but) he can't maintain the status quo."

That was the main news nugget that emerged from Izzo's one-hour, 45-minute meeting with media to wrap up the season and look ahead. Izzo said Joseph, a 6-foot-4 guard who averaged 5.9 points a game this season, needs to improve significantly as a defender and ballhandler.

Izzo said a decision may not be made until April or later. The Spartans are bringing in three perimeter recruits in 2007, making minutes a hot commodity.

"First of all he's a great kid, he's a very good student, a kid who could probably graduate in a year," Izzo said of Joseph. "But there's times when it's a good deal for one (side), times when it's a good deal for the other. I want this to be a good deal for both sides."

Asked after Saturday's season-ending loss to North Carlina about the competition for playing time next season, Joseph said: "I welcome it. We're all gonna work to get better together this summer. I'm not really worried about that."

Here are Izzo's takes on other subjects Wednesday:

• Opportunities for assistants:

Izzo said assistant coaches Jim Boylen and Mark Montgomery both may have opportunities to leave this offseason for head-coaching jobs.

Boylen said Tuesday that he was to fly Wednesday to San Antonio to speak with Utah officials about their opening.

Izzo also said he would have no problem with any former assistants take the Michigan job.

• How MSU will maintain its tough defense while playing faster next season:

"That's the million-dollar question," Izzo said. "No. 1, (fast) is the way we play most of the time. This was an aberration. I am not gonna play that way next year."

Izzo said he wants MSU to be a complete team, not just a defensive team, but that freshmen Chris Allen, Kalin Lucas and Durrell Summers will be expected to defend well from the start.

• The three freshmen:

Izzo said they'll all be in East Lansing this summer to work out and bond with their future teammates. Lucas, a point guard, "can do some things (Travis Walton and Drew Neitzel) can't," Izzo said.

"They're gonna have important spots on the team, but they don't have to take over the team," Izzo said.

• The potential impact next season of redshirt freshman 7-footer Tom Herzog:

"I think he can be a factor," Izzo said. "I'd say Herzog has as much passion for the game as any big guy I've got and most I've had. He has a passion and that's big."

• Transitioning back to high expectations:

"The biggest problem now is, where do we go?" Izzo said. "Because as accepting as we were of where we were this year, we didn't go to a Final Four, we didn't win a national championship, we didn't win a Big Ten championship. We didn't accomplish the world. We did a lot with what we had, but the standards around here ... hopefully this is a blip.

"It's not any place I want to build a home at, and I want (the players) to understand that."

• Other returning personnel:

Izzo said Neitzel may play a bit more point guard and score a bit less next season, although he'll obviously still be the top scoring option.

Also, Raymar Morgan will play power forward only when MSU needs to go small. And freshman Isaiah Dahlman has a chance to make a jump.

"I know watching him after games, he wants to be a player," Izzo said of Dahlman. "With (Joseph), there's got to be some changes. It's not his work ethic, it's his sense of urgency."

• MSU's returning big men:

This subject took up a large portion of the session. It's clear Izzo thinks they can be much better players, and that their development will be the key to next season's hope for championships.

"It's no secret here," Izzo said. "Our bigs to me have made average progress. I'll say it publicly, I'll say it personally, I'll say it in my shower."

Marquise Gray and Drew Naymick have been hampered by injuries, Izzo said. Naymick "shoots the ball better than any big we've got," Izzo said, and just needs to transfer the confidence he gained this season on defense to offense.

Gray needs a healthy summer. Idong Ibok needs to keep working on those hands.

All of them need work on their personalities, Izzo said, particularly Goran Suton. Izzo talked a lot about his hope that Suton will reach a new level of urgency.

"All that said he averaged 10 (points) and seven (rebounds) and I don't think he's even scratched the surface," Izzo said of Suton. "My job is to make sure the light goes on and he doesn't continue in (a casual) direction. If he does, we might be a good team, maybe a very good team, but we won't be hanging any banners."

Contact Joe Rexrode at jrexrode@lsj.com.