“I look at last year’s team, and I didn’t realize they had a couple of guys sitting out,” Izzo said. “They had about two or three starters from last year that aren’t playing right now because they are subs.”

Even with new faces on the court for Virginia Tech, Izzo and the players know one skill they will be up against tomorrow night — shooting.

“A lot of their guys can put the ball in the hole; they’re a very aggressive team,” senior guard Keith Appling said. “So the main thing for us is to keep it solid and try to keep the high hand up (on defense).”

Virginia Tech boasts a .448 3-point shooting percentage, with Ben Emelogu and leading scorer Jarell Eddie making at least half their shots from behind the arc. Eddie will be put to the test tonight, as junior forward Branden Dawson and his lockdown defense face Eddie’s sharp-shooting abilities.

The Hokies also will bring height to the court, as three of their five starters stand at least six-foot-seven. One player that could make their height a non-factor is senior forward Adreian Payne, who is nursing a plantar fasciitis injury and missed a good portion of practice Wednesday due to it. So will Payne be missing any time this weekend? Not likely, according to Payne.

“I’m playing — starting and everything … I’ll be full-go (Friday),” Payne said.

Payne’s minor health scare won’t be the only concern this weekend; it will also be rebounding. In Friday’s scare against Columbia, the Spartans were out-rebounded 27-31 and barely got by Portland on the rebound count on Monday when they beat them on the boards 38-34. When Payne was asked about the rebounding woes on this experienced team, he pointed to it being a mental problem and not being aggressive enough around the rim.

A lack of spirit also was in the air against Columbia, as Izzo said his 88-year-old mother could have hung with the Spartans’ intensity. Going away from the home crowd that brought energy during crunch time against Columbia could be a challenge for MSU. Despite leaving their beloved Izzone, Payne believes a trip away from home could help the team.

“I think we got to bring (the energy) more, because the Izzone isn’t going to be there,” Payne said. “We have done this before — we are an experienced team — so we just got to come out and make sure we are ready.”