Head coach Tom Izzo yells from the sidelines Nov. 20, 2012, at Breslin Center. The MSU basketball team defeated Boise State, 74-70, to improve the Spartan’s record to 3-1. Adam Toolin/The State News
Faced with the challenge of an opponent he’s never seen before, head coach Tom Izzo has sought out an old friend for help: Brian Gregory.
The former MSU assistant coach and current Georgia Tech head coach has been one of the people Izzo has turned to in preparing for the annual Big Ten/ACC Challenge, which began Tuesday night and continues when the No. 13 MSU men’s basketball team (5-1) heads to Miami to take on the Hurricanes (3-1) tonight (7:30 p.m., ESPN).
It will be the first meeting between the two programs, which Izzo said should add some excitement to the late-November tilt.
“I do think it’s an intriguing matchup as far as two good conferences. Most people are saying it’s the two best conferences right now in the country in basketball,” Izzo said of the annual conference wide challenge.
“(Miami has) shot very well at home; they’ve shot over 50 percent in home games. … It’s going to be different playing a different team than we’ve played before. That part will be exciting, and I’m looking forward to it.”
No one might be looking forward to the matchup with Miami more than senior center Derrick Nix, who often has dealt with double teams against smaller opponents during the nonconference season.
Miami’s roster features five players who are 6 feet 10 inches or taller, with seniors Kenny Kadji and Reggie Johnson each averaging at least 11.5 points and 8.8 rebounds per game.
But the biggest news of the day could be the return of guards Gary Harris and Travis Trice, who have each missed time with injury.
Trice, who suffered a concussion and a broken nose in MSU’s 66-62 loss to UConn in the season opener, was wearing a mask in practice Monday, similar to the one worn by NBA player Richard Hamilton, and said he has passed the concussion test and is symptom-free.
“I’m just ready to play,” Trice said.
“You can’t play with fear … or play not to get hit or not to get hurt because then you’re going to get hurt doing that. So I’m just going to go out and play regular.”
Harris, whom Director of Sports Medicine Jeff Kovan described as less likely to play than Trice, is recovering from a sprained shoulder suffered in the opening minute of a victory over Boise State more than a week ago.
After scrimmaging with both Harris and Trice on Monday, junior guard Keith Appling said the duo looked healthy and is excited to get them back to help a backcourt that has lacked depth.
“They look pretty good. I kind of feel like they didn’t miss a beat,” said Appling, who has played 116 of a possible 120 minutes since Trice and Harris were both hurt.
“Their presence was truly missed for those couple games that they had to sit down, but now that they’re back, they’re going to bring so much more back to our team.”
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