Then, in 2007-08, there was a 85-82 double-overtime loss to the Lakers at Breslin Center and a six-point win against Michigan Tech five days later, as the Spartans barely avoided another upset.

Last season, the Spartans responded and hammered Northern Michigan and Lake Superior State by 61 and 43 points, respectively, but Izzo will be looking for something different when the Spartans open the preseason against Northwood at 4 p.m. Sunday at Breslin Center.

“Since we’ve been playing Division 2 teams, we’ve lost a game, we’ve won some games playing ugly, (but) I’m looking for a more polished — and it will be a little early for that — but I’m looking for us to compete better than I think we have in other years,” Izzo said. “I am going to make that game a little bit more important from the standpoint of not who I play, but how each guy plays.”

In his 15 years as head coach at MSU, Izzo has mixed and matched players, moved players to different positions and tinkered with his lineup so it’s at its best when the regular season opens.

But for Division 2 teams, games against top-ranked teams are like their national championship, whether they count in the standings or not. And because of the Grand Valley loss in 2007, senior guard Isaiah Dahlman said the Spartans know how important these preseason games can be.

“That Grand Valley game a couple years ago woke us up, and I think last year we played pretty well in our exhibition games,” Dahlman said. “We still have some guys on the team that lost to Grand Valley, so maybe we can tell the freshmen, ‘OK, anything’s possible. We’ve got to play.’”

Izzo still is going to tinker with the lineup and sift through a roster he said has “six or seven” starters. Aside from junior guard Kalin Lucas, senior forward Raymar Morgan, sophomore forward Delvon Roe and a center — a position Izzo said he wants to use during the next couple weeks — Izzo also looks at junior guard Chris Allen and sophomore forward Draymond Green as guys who have the ability to start.

Even with making those moves, Izzo believes there comes a point where a program like MSU shouldn’t lose to a Division 2 team, another hurdle he wants to overcome Sunday.

“I’m trying to tell my guys that we have to play at a certain standard, a certain level, no matter who we play,” Izzo said. “This program needs to take that step now.”