MSU head coach Tom Izzo, in a way, has a habit of developing "themes" for practice during a given week.

During winter break, it was team defense. Last week, it was improving team rebounding. This week, it will be learning to defend without fouling.

The No. 12 Spartans have committed an average of 18 fouls per game in Big Ten play, but that average is brought down by games against Penn State and Ohio State in which they only committed a combined 21 fouls. In games against Michigan and Northwestern, MSU was whistled 49 total times.

"This has been a year of plug one hole, open a different hole," Izzo said in his weekly news conference.

"We got better offensively early. I thought we got a lot better defensively from Christmas (on), and that continued over the weekend. I said we had to get better rebounding and we did make improvements, but it wasn't against the best rebounding team in the conference so it's with guarded optimism."

Now, with the offense, defense and rebounding seemingly in check, Izzo will now turn his focus to finding ways for his team to still be aggressive on the defensive end without getting in foul trouble.

"I'm going to try to go out and purchase 15 pairs of handcuffs because I'm going handcuff my guys' (hands) behind their back," Izzo said. "The fouling, in the last four or five games, either with what we're doing or how it's being called or whatever, has been a nightmare. We've been in foul trouble every game, and that's what this week will be for."

Senior forward Matt Trannon and senior center Paul Davis fouled out of Saturday's game at Northwestern. But Izzo said the team can only work on what it can control — which does not include who the officials are.

"We've had so many key guys in foul trouble on different calls," Izzo said. "We have to address it as a team now. We're going to have to adjust to whatever we think we're going to have to adjust to.

"You can play good defense without fouling, and we're going to have to play good defense without fouling."

Change brewing?

Izzo hinted at redshirt freshman forward Marquise Gray replacing Trannon at power forward in the starting lineup.

Trannon has been plagued by foul trouble during the past four games, picking up at least three fouls in each of game.

With some strange calls going against him, Trannon has not looked like himself.

"At the beginning of games, it's called closer, so maybe that would help," Izzo said. "You might see that happen down the road."

Getting their MoJo

Izzo keeps looking for an opportunity to get freshman guard Maurice Joseph more playing time. He said Joseph would've seen time Saturday, but circumstances prevented that.

"We were about to put him in, then Paul (Davis) got another foul or we had two freshman inside, and we didn't want to compound the problems against a team that runs an intricate offense," Izzo said.

"You just realize freshmen are freshmen. You have McDonalds All-Americans sitting on the bench at some schools in the Midwest. That's just the way it is."