The Spartans could be adding another big body to their rotation, just in time for the meat of the Big Ten schedule.

Redshirt freshman forward Delco Rowley practiced for the first time Monday since spraining his left knee Dec. 16 in a game against South Florida.

Rowley did not participate in contact drills in practice, but coach Tom Izzo said the injury has healed - it's just a matter of getting the knee strong again.

"It's hard because I redshirted last year, and it's hard to have an injury and have to sit out for like a month and a half," Rowley said.

Rowley, an Indianapolis native, said he hopes to be ready for Sunday's game at Purdue. It will be Rowley's first chance to play in his home state as a Spartan.

"I'm from Indiana, so it's a rival for me. It'll be a big game to go against them," he said.

Izzo said there is not a timetable for Rowley's return, however, adding it could be a couple of weeks before he gets into a game.

"The kid has lived in here morning, noon and night," Izzo said. "I've loved his attitude through this whole thing because I think he's become a better player mentally and has more of an appreciation, and I think that's going to pay some dividends."

After the South Florida game, Izzo, who had just been informed of the severity of the injury, said Rowley's absence would be a damaging blow to MSU's frontcourt, which was already lacking depth.

Izzo's prediction was right. Out of the six games Rowley missed, the Spartans were outrebounded four times.

MSU's two-game winning streak has quieted recent criticisms that the team isn't tough enough. Indeed, MSU has turned up its defensive intensity in its last two wins, holding its opponents to 37.1 percent shooting.

But Rowley's physical presence would still be a welcome addition to the team, especially now that it is in the middle of the Big Ten season.

"It's always important to have a big man in the Big Ten because every game every team has a couple of them," sophomore center Paul Davis said.

It's official

Freshman point guard Brandon Cotton has officially transferred to the University of Detroit Mercy, officials confirmed.

Izzo indicated Cotton was considering the move more than two weeks ago, and the Detroit native made his final decision last week. Cotton is currently enrolled in classes at U of D, and he will be eligible to play the day after the fall semester ends in December 2004.

In his short career at MSU, Cotton played in three games, averaging 1.0 point and 5.3 minutes per game.

The Iron Mountain duo

Detroit Lions head coach Steve Mariucci attended the Michigan game Saturday and met with his old friend Izzo after the game.

"He always gives me some bad ideas," Izzo joked. "His offense wasn't so good either."

Izzo and Mariucci both hail from Iron Mountain, Mich. Although the two coach different sports, Izzo said they were able to find some common ground.