Izzo told users in chat that a high preseason ranking focused a lot of attention on his program and his team didn't respond well in the beginning of the season. But Izzo and company have righted their ship and the Spartans are on a roll, winning 10 or their last 11 games.

Izzo also touched on Thursday night's clash with Iowa on ESPN for first place in the Big Ten and says his team will be lacing up their track shoes.

An edited transcript from Izzo's Jan. 21 chat follows.

	Izzo is in his fourth year at Michigan State.

'92 Alumni in Dallas: How do you feel the team is playing at this point in the season? Better than a month ago?

Tom Izzo: Definitely better than a month ago. We are making progress. We have not played as well as we can or will. We have been getting some good contributions from several players. But if we are going to make a run, we need to get help from four or five guys if we want be a factor in this league.

Scooter: Has it been more difficult winning this year because you are the hunted and not the hunter?

Tom Izzo: It has been more stressful. It has been harder on the players but it is a spot I relish. Now when we get beat, we see that we are a little more important.

The plus is that we are highly ranked and the minuses are that everyone is gunning for you. But that is good.

Izzoner: Which player have you been most impressed by so far this year?

Tom Izzo: Morris Peterson has been the biggest surprise of our team. He really came on last year to be more than one dimensional. The wrist injury caused him to focus on other areas of the game, especially his fundamentals because he wasn't able to use 90 percent of his right hand. He also spent time in the gym working on his game and he has matured more than any other player I have had here.

Joe Servick: How would you compare Mateen Cleaves to the other guards in the league, especially Scoonie Penn?

Tom Izzo: I think Scoonie is a great player and a good addition. I think it is unfair to compare the two because Mateen is just getting back into form.

Mateen has the leadership and defensive ability that separates him from other guards.

Jared: What is your team's attitude on (Thursday's) game against Iowa?

Tom Izzo: Nervous.

IZZO'S FILE

The Spartans have won 10 of their last 11 games, including their last three as they head into Thursday night's clash with No. 15 Iowa (ESPN 7:30 p.m. ET) where first place in the Big Ten is on the line. The 1997-98 Coach of the Year has the Spartans sporting a 14-4 record this season and ranked No. 10 in the ESPN/USA Today coaches poll. This comes on the heels of last year's campaign when Izzo shocked the basketball world by claiming a share of the Big Ten title.

I have a lot of respect for their team and they are on a mission. We want to make sure that our players know our cause, because Iowa is playing for several causes -- one being Tom Davis. We want to win the Big Ten championship and Iowa is a factor in that. We have prepared well and now we just have to play the game. The players are excited to play the game.

Charlie: Do you ever remember the Big Ten being deeper than this year? Even Northwestern is not a gimme.

Tom Izzo: I guarantee Northwestern is not a gimme. They had Iowa down 10 late but lost and played Indiana tough.

But the answer is no. We have seven teams ranked and I can't ever remember that. And the other teams not ranked are good teams and have great coaches. We are going to beat each other up this year and we'll see who is left standing. It will be a true champion this year.

IA all the way: Do you think your team is confident enough to beat Iowa and win the Big Ten?

Tom Izzo: There is no doubt when you are ranked high and lose some games, you lose some confidence. You hear about it everyday and a loss is played like the end of the world in the media. When you are not ranked high, you don't hear about it.

It kind of hits you a little bit, but that is what determines the good teams -- how you bounce back.

I do think we have the confidence to beat Iowa, but the ball has to go in the hoop. I think we can win the Big Ten and I like our chances. But it will be a battle.

Penn State Alum Chris: Is there a lot of pressure put on the basketball program with the success that the football team has had?

Tom Izzo: Over the years football is so big at 99 percent of the schools, unless you are at a Kentucky, Duke, Indiana etc.

I don't feel any added pressure. I have had a very good relationship with the football coaches and especially Nick Saban. We help each other during recruiting. I bring in a lot of guys during football season and the better they do, the more it helps us. So with the football program.

Trip: Do you plan on pushing the issue (against Iowa), fastbreaking, etc., or focusing on running more of a set half-court offense to increase your lack of 3 pointers so far this year?

Tom Izzo: We plan to run. They will press and we will run. It will be a track meet.

We have not shot the three very well this year and that is upsetting. But teams that do everything well, usually win it all. We are a good rebounding team but I would like us to get to be a better offensive team.

Spartan Fan: At this point in the season you are ranked No. 10 in the country. Do you think that is high or low right now?

Tom Izzo: I thought when we were No. 5, it was too high for where we were. I think there are five really good teams in the country and about 30 others that can fill out rest of the Top 25. That is to say that team No. 25 is any better or worse than team No. 15. I think we are ranked just about right.

Alumni 98: I think MSU's schedule this year is very tough. Do you think it'll prepare the team for the March Madness. I think a schedule like you have gives the MSU basketball team more exposure as far as the recruiting wars go.

Tom Izzo: Those are the two main reasons we did it, so I am glad someone agrees with me.

We are hoping it makes us tougher and helps us deal with the ups and downs of the season. It is more difficult to go through but we have learned a lot about our team. I has given us a new perspective of where we are at and where we need to get.

It also generated a lot of exposure for our program and I think it may not help us right now, but in four or five years it will make us a better program.

Joe Servick: How hard is it to get in-state recruits to come to MSU?

Tom Izzo: It seemed like it has been very difficult but we have had a lot of success lately. We focus on taking care of the home base. But everyone wants to do that.

So it has been easier to find the kids because there is so much talent in the state. And we have had success getting them to stay here.

I think as a program, we are heading in the right direction. We hope to get there sooner than later. It has been an adjustment dealing with the added pressure and attention, but two or three years down the road it will benefit us and hopefully turn us into a Top 25 program year in and year out. That is what we are trying to accomplish here.

Thanks for all the questions today. Take care everyone.