WATCH: Michigan State's Tom Izzo Looks Ahead to Ohio State
EAST LANSING. MIch. -- It's time for Michigan State men's basketball to really see what it's made of.
On Friday, the Spartans will resume Big Ten play with a road matchup against Ohio State, a tough team that recently defeated No. 10 Kentucky by 20 points.
Michigan State is 11-2 and ranked 18th in the nation as it gets ready to head into the bulk of its 2024-25 season, and if they are what their record says so far, the Spartans should fare well in conference play this season, something they haven't done in recent years.
Michigan State coach Tom Izzo previewed Friday's contest when he addressed the media following the Spartans' practice on Wednesday.
You can watch below:
Below is a partial transcript from Izzo's media availability:
Q: What concerns you about Ohio State?
"Well, they're playing really good. I mean, they just beat Kentucky by 20 and they're playing good. They lost a guard, and they've actually gotten a little better. The Mobley kid [John Mobley Jr.] is taking over for [Meechie] Johnson, and he shoots it a little better. They've got a great, great, great guard. That's what concerns me because he hurt us last year, and he's dynamite. And I think he's going to -- we match up good. And yet I think that will be the challenge for us -- keep the guards out of the paint and stop their 3-point shooting -- will be the challenge."
Q: How have they changed with Coach Jake Diebler?
Izzo: "I don't know if they've changed much. I mean, he's got his own style, I don't think they've changed much. They got a point guard [Bruce Thornton] that's got another year of experience. I mean, that's his third year. And he's very strong, he's very good, he's got experience. Now, the funny part is he's taking less shots this year than I think he took last year. He's taking 10 shots a game. For a superstar -- for a star, for sure -- that's about as minimal as you can get. So, if he's only taking 10 shots a game and he's averaging 17, 18 points, but he's kind of the straw that stirs the drink in a lot of ways. And kind of reminds me of Cassius [Winston]; he doesn't have to take a different body type, doesn't have to take a lot of shots to get a lot done."
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