Izzo: No word on Sims playing hoops

One of the more interesting tidbits to come out of Monday’s MSU men’s basketball open practice — a session which head coach Tom Izzo reffered to as “the hardest we’ve practiced” — was the availability of freshman tight end Dion Sims for the basketball team once the football season has ended.

Izzo and MSU football head coach Mark Dantonio recruited Sims together — with football as the No. 1 focus — but Izzo said Monday he has “no idea” whether Sims will play basketball for the Spartans this season, or in the future.

“I haven’t even talked to Mark or him since recruiting season with Mark,” Izzo said. “I saw Dion a couple months ago, but, first of all, I’m hoping it’s not until January, and second of all, if he’s having a phenomenal football year, as far as potential … he’d be crazy to want to screw that up.”

Izzo went on to say Sims playing “might be (a thing next year), it might be a thing never. That’s kind of up to Dion and Mark more than it is me. I mean, I’d love to have him, but not at his expense.”

The name of sophomore wide receiver Fred Smith also came up as a possible two-sport player. Smith, a four-star recruit out of Detroit Southeastern High School according to recruiting Web site Rivals.com, has struggled on the field, but Izzo did say he liked Smith on the hardwood.

“I liked Fred, and you know, I’ll have to see,” Izzo said of that possibility. “I think there’s times I think we need another athlete out there, and then there are times I think we have enough and we’ll have another center. It just depends on how it goes and what we need.”

On a more serious note, sophomore guard Korie Lucious’ feet are a little sore after being able to practice full-go for the first time in months. Izzo pulled Lucious out of practice a few minutes early to give him some extra rest.

“It’s like anybody taking six months off,” Izzo said. “Your muscles — even though for an 18-year-old it’s not the same as it is for (an older person) — but for the most part it still is a factor. … We’re trying to let him in gradually, but I’ve been really pleased with how he’s been so far, but it will be a little tougher now for about a week, and then it should start getting better after that.”