Spartans nursing wounds before weekend set

By: Cash Kruth Posted: 11/19/09 6:56pm Comments: 0

Neither senior forward Raymar Morgan (right foot) nor freshman center Garrick Sherman (deep thigh bruise) practiced Thursday for the No. 2 MSU men’s basketball team, which hosts Toledo at 6:30 p.m. Friday at Breslin Center.

Morgan said he expects to play against the Rockets (0-2), but head coach Tom Izzo said he “might have no choice” but to sit Morgan.

Two other players of note are the sophomore forward tandem of Delvon Roe and Draymond Green.

Roe, who said he had never fouled out of a game in his life, has fouled out of MSU’s first two games, totaling zero points. He was one of the last Spartans to come down with a sickness that swept the team near the beginning of practice and also suffered a concussion in the preseason opener, but said there are no lingering effects affecting his play.

“I don’t want to make excuses, I’m not an excuse-type person,” Roe said. “I’ve just got to play better and keep myself out of foul trouble “

As for Green, while he is staying on the court and putting up numbers, the sophomore is severely struggling with turnovers. He has seven turnovers this season, five of which came against Gonzaga in what he called the worst game of his life.

“I missed shots I shouldn’t haves missed, made passes I shouldn’t have made, I’ve just got to slow down and be more conscious with what I’m doing out there,” Green said.

Izzo said Green came to him Thursday and asked for a tape showing every turnover he’s made during the past two weeks in both games and practices, a request Izzo gladly granted.

In a quick look at Toledo, Stephen Albrecht (17 points per game), Jake Barnett (15 ppg) and Justin Anyijong (10.5 ppg, 5.5 rebounds per game) lead a team that beat Cincinnati 92-68 and Eastern Illinois 72-62.