For the better part of the last 20 years, Izzo's teams have always been built around being the tougher team. 

A team might beat them, sure. But it was unlikely they would do so without going through battle. In years past Izzo's "war drill," a physical rebounding drill where Izzo's players suit up in football pads, has gained national attention.

However, with new rules in college basketball aimed at giving offensive players more freedom to move on the court, Izzo has had a tough time adjusting his team's style of play to today's game.

"If that's the way it's going to be, then that's the way we've got to be playing," Izzo said. "It is an adjustment for us and maybe I've been too stubborn to adjust."

While Izzo and his team haven't blamed any of this season's losses on foul calls or the refs, they have at times vented their frustrations at the different rules.

"It has been frustrating," senior guard Denzel Valentine said. "It seems like every play we come down, there's a foul. ... I know it's frustrating for us because ... we take pride on defense and being aggressive so that's what we're going to do when we're out there, is just try to take pride on the defense and be aggressive and you hear a whistle. ... It's been tough, but you've got to figure out ways to win and survive."

At a press conference Monday, Izzo said he was going to do something in practice this week to better prepare his team, and said he was "400 percent" serious that he was going to tie players' hands behind their backs.

And at Monday afternoon's practice, Izzo showed that talk was more than just lip service, as players went through defensive drills holding a towel with both hands above their heads, all in an effort to teach players to defend without using their hands.

"That's just something that (Izzo's) trying to do, different things to help every player out there so we can realize that we cannot use our hands on defense, calling every foul in practice now," MSU sophomore forward Javon Bess said. "And using the towels is just something that's going to help us."

Valentine said the drill doesn't have a name yet, but feels he got tremendous use of the practice.

"It's a different way to adjust," Valentine said. "I think it's a good idea. Coach is always improving and adjusting to ways of the nation and the refs and things like that so we're going to find ways to win."

"You can't use your hands, you've got to slide," Valentine said of the drill. "It kind of shows your footwork a little bit more so that's being noticed a little bit more. It's a good drill. We're probably going to continue to do it until we get better."