At his weekly press conference Tuesday, Izzo said he is pleased with the way MSU’s work in progress is developing.

“We’re starting to move up in the ranks in the Big Ten,” Izzo said. “Our scoring is up there in third or fourth place, our defense is up there and our field goal percentage defense has been there the whole time.

“We’re making some strides, but don’t fool yourself. We got a lot of work left.”

The majority of the Spartans’ improvements have come on the offensive end of the court, where MSU has shot better than 50 percent from the field in each of its last three games. And after turning the ball over 17 times per contest through the first six games, the Spartans have given the ball up an average of just 12.5 times in the last four games.

Even more specifically, junior and sophomore centers Derrick Nix and Adreian Payne keep improving each game, Izzo said.

Nix has become more assertive and now demands the ball in the post, Izzo said, while Payne has combined his athleticism with his newly developed strength to start playing more to his potential.

Against the Bulldogs, Nix scored eight points on 4-for-4 shooting and grabbed six rebounds in 18 minutes. Payne, who started his ninth game of the season, played 24 minutes, scored nine points and limited seven-foot center Robert Sacre in the paint.

“We’re getting a lot out of those two guys at that position,” Izzo said. “And I think the best is yet to come if they keep improving.”

Izzo cited a specific instance when Payne blocked a shot, then turned around and finished a layup in transition as a sign of his potential and increasing development and understanding of what he’s supposed to do.

“I thought I finally saw something that I dreamed about with him,” Izzo said.

With the post players — including senior forward Draymond Green, who scored a career-high 34 points against Gonzaga — improving, Izzo said he needs his guards to pick up the pace as Big Ten play approaches. Earlier in the season, it was the guards who carried the team, so Izzo doesn’t expect that to be a problem.

“Sooner or later, we’re going to have to put the two together if we’re going to be a team that plans on going anywhere the rest of the year,” Izzo said.

Big Ten success
Although Izzo generally is pleased with the progress of his team about one-third of the way through the season, he knows the Spartans will have to be better once conference play rolls around.

The Big Ten is regarded by many as the best conference in the country this season, and its success in the so far has proved that to be true.

Led by No. 2 Ohio State, the conference boasts six ranked teams. And, along with MSU’s impressive road win Saturday, No. 18 and undefeated Indiana knocked off then-No. 1 Kentucky on a last second 3-pointer.

“The league right now, I think, has taken a couple steps forward,” Izzo said. “Indiana’s win was great, our win was great, you got some other great wins. That means we’re going to have a lot of teams going into Big Ten play with some incredible records.”

The Big Ten’s six ranked teams have a combined record of 50-7 to this point, and the conference won the Big Ten/ACC Challenge by an 8-4 margin. All this comes, Izzo said, despite the fact Big Ten schools are scheduling more difficult non-conference slates each season.

“I think our league is probably better than we thought early,” Izzo said. “And that’s good news for us in some ways, bad news for us in some ways.”