Tom Izzo doesn't know what he's going to do about the injuries.
Or the sometimes lackadaisical defense.
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| Michigan State is trying to get a grip on its team in the early going. (AP) |
But the Michigan State coach does have a plan that he hopes will solve the free throw woes that cost the Spartans in a loss to Maryland and a not-so-convincing victory over Wichita State. That plan: "I'm going to threaten my guys," Izzo said.
Threaten them with what?
"With life."
And so it is with that subplot that Michigan State enters Wednesday night's showdown with North Carolina that was considered the marquee non-league game of the season before turning into something else entirely for the Spartans. Now, it's a quest for the players to simply avoid death, and if not from their coach then from the top-ranked Tar Heels, who have lived up to the hype so far this season while running and dunking on everybody.
UNC's average margin of victory is 29.8 points through seven games.
That number makes sense to Izzo.
"By 30 or maybe more if we play like this," Izzo answered when asked how badly North Carolina could beat his Spartans if things don't improve. "But we'll play better. ... And I'm looking forward to this, and I know that sounds stupid, but I really am. ... I just have to keep it in perspective."
By "keep it in perspective," Izzo means understand -- and constantly remind himself -- that this isn't the team he A) expected to coach, or B) will be coaching come March. Goran Suton is injured and questionable for Wednesday's game, and though Delvon Roe is a physical specimen and tireless worker, the reality is that, because of knee injuries, the freshman still lacks the explosiveness that made him a high school star.
"He'll never get past 85 percent this year," Izzo said. "But if I can get him to 85 then I think I've got a pretty good player."
Problem is, Roe is nowhere near 85 percent yet.
It's more like 65 or 70.
Which is why Izzo hasn't played Roe more than 19 minutes in any game, because the coach is erring on the side of caution, unwilling to risk further damage for the sake of a single game. That's a noble gesture. But it makes it hard to win. And it's frustrating as hell.
"I thought I'd get 55 to 60 minutes (combined) out of (Suton and Roe) each game," Izzo said. "But I've been getting (about) 15. So it's hard to tell where my team is. ... I'm trying to keep that in perspective."
Here's hoping Izzo keeps that perspective late Wednesday when UNC enters Ford Field, scopes the place out and makes reservations for an April return. The Tar Heels are the favorite, and for good reason. But Michigan State should still be a formidable opponent despite a questionable Suton and limited Roe because the Spartans will be playing 90 miles from campus, and they have Izzo coaching Raymar Morgan and Kalin Lucas, which are three pretty good ingredients.
That said, an upset won't be easy. As Izzo acknowledged, his team could "play their asses off, play well, and that (still) might not be good enough (to win)." North Carolina is that awesome. But a proper perspective could have the Spartans showing progress even in a loss, and that should be the goal short of a shock-the-world victory.
"If you can't get up for North Carolina you've got a problem," said Michigan State guard Travis Walton. "They're playing great basketball, so we know we're going to get their A-plus game, and they are by far the best team in the country right now. So you've got to take your hat off to them. But at the same time, we can play. So we just have to put everything together, help more on defense and play harder."
With that, Walton paused.
"And," he added, "we have to make free throws."
Or else risk death.
Either by their coach or the Tar Heels.
Or maybe both.
