Izzo had some questions with the smaller lineup and although he got some answers to those questions, they weren’t the ones he was looking for.

“I wondered if we would rebound well with a smaller lineup, stop dribble penetration with a smaller lineup — which you should — and (were) we going to get to the point where we’re not going to deal with the droughts?” Izzo said. “I wouldn’t grade any of those areas very high if I was a grader — I wouldn’t grade very well at all, and that was disappointing.”

Perhaps the most intriguing decision is who gets the start at shooting guard — Allen or fellow sophomore guard Durrell Summers. While points and highlight reel plays are to be expected from both, the lack of defensive intensity from both has nearly driven Izzo crazy the past two years.

On Sunday, upset with Allen’s lack of hustle in the first half, Izzo challenged him at halftime to shoot more and be more aggressive with the ball. Allen came out of halftime firing, much to the pleasure of his coach.

“He played with a sense of purpose in that second half and I thought that was one of the best halves of basketball Chris had played,” Izzo said.

Aside from answering Izzo’s call and scoring 21 points, including a tip-slam late in the half, Allen also made some hustle plays and tough rebounds that clearly showed he doesn’t plan on losing his starting job any time soon.

“Starting is great, it shows where you’re at on the team and where coach thinks you are,” Allen said. “That’s just motivation for me to play harder to keep my starting spot.”

Red and Green don’t mix

With 4:50 remaining in the first half, freshman forward Draymond Green entered the game, making his MSU debut. Although fellow freshmen Delvon Roe and Korie Lucious also made their debuts, what makes Green’s so interesting is it means he won’t redshirt this season.

When Green first came to MSU, there was question of whether or not Green would redshirt because of his size. But after working out to get himself down to 235 pounds heading into the season, Izzo said Green simply earned the chance to play right away.

“I think he earned it when he lost the weight, I think he earned it when he got in shape and I think he earned it because he’s probably our toughest player inside,” Izzo said. “The question marks are is he going to be in good enough condition to play enough minutes? But Draymond Green and toughness, there’s no question in that.”