“I’ve never been injured,” Byrd said. “Never in my whole life, ankles, nothing like that. (This) back-to-back broken foot (was) a surprise.”

Byrd — touted as one of the best shooters of his recruiting class — injured his foot in a workout last May and underwent surgery. After his foot failed to heal properly, Byrd again went under the knife in October.

With most of his season lost, Byrd was redshirted by Spartan head coach Tom Izzo, but less than two weeks ago, the 6-foot-7 sharpshooter was back practicing with the team.

“I’ve been away from it for nine months now, and being back out here feels great,” Byrd said. “It’s what I love to do, so I’m happy.”

Lingering foot injuries are not new for MSU. Junior guard Korie Lucious spent much of the last two years struggling with a broken foot of his own, an injury he suffered in the 2009 National Championship Game.

Byrd said he went to Lucious for advice and received some simple instructions.

“Just have to listen to the doctors,” Byrd said. “Don’t mess around. Be patient.”

Despite having limited mobility, Byrd did as much as he could to maintain the skill that helped make him a star at Blackhawk Christian High School in Fort Wayne, Ind.

“When I couldn’t stand on my foot, I’d sit on a chair and shoot, sit on my butt and dribble,” Byrd said. “You know, just improvised, made the most of it.”

Now that Byrd is practicing, he said it still is hard to watch his teammates play in games, especially as they struggle to shoot — Byrd’s specialty. However, he said the most important thing for him now is to be supportive of the No. 25 Spartans as they look to get back on track this season.

“You have to stay behind them and support them,” Byrd said. “I know my time will come soon enough.”

More time for Michigan
After two consecutive road losses last week, MSU (12-7 overall, 4-3 Big Ten) will look to right the ship at 7 p.m. Thursday, when Michigan (11-9, 1-6) comes to Breslin Center.

With four days between the Spartans’ loss to Purdue and their game with the Wolverines, MSU will have more time than usual to prepare for its biggest rival.

“It’s always good to have a few extra days,” junior forward Draymond Green said. “You get to prepare for a team a little bit more, and also get a little rest in between, get extra shots up and watch extra film.”

Not everyone, though, is excited for the gap between games.

“No one really likes practices,” junior forward Delvon Roe said with a chuckle. “Everyone likes games more than practices. But at the same time, this is a good time for us to get some things wrinkled out and get it taken care of.”

Shooting your way out
During the last two weeks, Green successfully has found his way out of a shooting slump, as evidenced by his 21 points and four 3-pointers Saturday night.

As some of the other Spartans still find themselves struggling with their shots, Green said he relayed some advice he received from former Spartan and current Orlando Magic star Jason Richardson.

“(Richardson) told me, ‘The only way you can come out of a slump is if you keep shooting,’” Green said. “They’ll start falling eventually if you just keep shooting.”