Izzo likes team’s depth now, knows rotation must trim
This is typically the time of year Tom Izzo begins to figure out Michigan State’s rotation.
Even though his gift this holiday season is depth that has allowed the fourth-ranked Spartans to use his starters and bench players for extended time, Izzo knows time will be tighter as Big Ten play begins.
“Right now, there’s a lot of people that would like to have 11 players that they’re playing or 10,” Izzo said Friday. “And I’m going to try to enjoy that a little bit, even though it’s a headache in some ways.”
The three-time defending Big Ten regularseason champions open conference play Sunday night at Northwestern (7 p.m., BTN). It comes a week after the Spartans improved to 6-0 with a 109-91 demolition of Oakland in which a dozen players got more than 5 minutes of action and seven of them scored 10-ormore points.
For the season, Izzo is giving nine players for between 11.2 and leader Aaron Henry’s 29.0 minutes a game. Two others, sophomore forward Julius Marble (7.2) and freshman guard A.J. Hoggard (8.2) have been vital pieces. Freshman forward Mady Sissoko played nearly 81⁄ minutes in the win over the
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Golden Grizzlies.
“Coach Izzo has a better understanding of that than me. I feel like he’s gonna do anything to put the team in the best spot possible. And whatever happens, happens,” Henry said. “Whoever’s playing the best will play. I feel like he’s been doing a good job of that.”
This year’s team might be a little deeper than some of Izzo’s previous 25, and the Hall of Fame coach also has said he wants to have his entire roster prepared to step in should any potential COVID-19 disruptions affect the Spartans this winter.
He does not yet have a target point for when he wants to bring down his playing rotation. That generally happens early in the Big Ten season, but Izzo said he might be willing to “sacrifice a little” to allow the most consistent groups to develop organically
“I think some of the players will determine all that,” he said. “There’s not a lot of separation from certain guys.”
Izzo said it remains a fight for minutes between starting forward Thomas Kithier (11.2 minutes) and reserves Marcus Bingham (12.0) and Marble. He also said he gave some of Marble’s minutes against Oakland to Sissoko to ready the freshman for Big Ten play. And Malik Hall (20.0) has brought versatility, scoring and rebounding off the bench at three positions. Joey Hauser (23.2) is the only Spartan to start all six games, leading them with 13.3 points and 10.0 rebounds.
At guard, Izzo has mixed up his starting groups a few times early. Senior Joshua Langford (24.2 minutes) started five games and sat out one, while Henry came off the bench once for disciplinary reasons. Rocket Watts (24.2) replaced Foster Loyer (18.5) but they remain in a rotation at point guard, with Hoggard starting to get some time since his knee healed after two-plus weeks off following a preseason procedure. And swingman Gabe Brown (19.8) combines with Watts, Henry and Langford to average 43.0 points between them.
“I still think in the long run, it’s gonna benefit us. And that’s the way I’m looking at it,” Izzo said. “So I’m gonna let the players determine some of it. I’m gonna have to do a good job with my staff in trying to separate them.”