Michigan State embarks on challenging stretch of season

EAST LANSING - Two games down, one major test passed and a challenging stretch ahead for Michigan State.

By early Sunday afternoon, Tom Izzo's team will have played three games in six days. Then it will prepare for trips to Atlantic City, N.J., and Chapel Hill, N.C., to play three more in five days.

"It's gonna be tough in this part of the season," sophomore forward Draymond Green said. "But it's gonna prepare us for the Big Ten Tournament and the NCAA Tournament, and for the Big Ten season as well."

It starts tonight when No. 2 MSU (2-0) hosts Toledo (0-2) in a game that is part of the Legends Classic event. Valparaiso will arrive Sunday for another game in the event.

But even if MSU loses one or both, it will move on to the semifinals, Nov. 27 against Florida in Atlantic City.

The Spartans will take on Massachusetts or Rutgers the next night - and will get a chance to avenge their national title game loss to North Carolina on Dec. 1.

It'll be much easier to diagnose this team by then. Tuesday's comeback 75-71 victory over Gonzaga was a demonstration of grit - particularly by Raymar Morgan, Kalin Lucas and Durrell Summers.

It was also a glimpse at a mistake-prone team that committed 20 turnovers and is far from operating smoothly. That's typical for November anyway, and several Spartans have already missed some time with various injuries.

"I think all of (the mistakes) are repairable, and I still think looking at that game, those guys (Gonzaga) are good," said Izzo, who was mostly encouraged after watching the game film. "I felt better after watching it, when I thought I'd feel worse."

Morgan is the lingering concern, with a slowly healing left ankle sprain and a brand-new right foot sprain that he sustained in the first half Tuesday.

He returned to deliver what Izzo called "one of the most heroic performances I've seen since I've been here."

Morgan has been limited since the game, though, and he's questionable for tonight's game.

"We might have no choice," Izzo said of sitting Morgan. "Now we have to look at getting him healthy for the near future."

The Spartans will look to get sophomore forward Delvon Roe going tonight. Roe has fouled out in the first two games and is still looking for his first points.

Asked if the concussion he suffered in MSU's first exhibition game was a factor, Roe said: "I don't want to make any excuses. Get myself out of foul trouble, that's something I want to do."

Green, meanwhile, was unhappy with his 10-rebound, five-turnover outing against Gonzaga, saying: "I think I played the worst game of my life."

"I like when he says it, not me," Izzo said when told of Green's assessment. "I don't have to embarrass him."

Lucas, Summers and Morgan were the stars of the first big win with 56 points between them. Lucas was featured Thursday on a regionalized cover of Sports Illustrated.

So now MSU has the Sports Illustrated "cover jinx" to avoid.

"Naw, I don't fear jinxes," Izzo said. "I'm from the U.P. We live in reality up there. But we've got a lot of work to do before we're on any covers as a team."