“We are beat up,” Izzo said. “It’s the same old story and I’m getting sick of it.”

Staying true to the season’s theme, the Spartans’ overtime win against Minnesota came with Payne sidelined as a result of a sprained foot.

Although there is no stress fracture, Izzo said after Saturday’s game there still is minor swelling and it “feels like it is not getting better.”

Despite the slow rehab process, Izzo said Payne wanted to fight through the injury and play against the Golden Gophers, but in the end, the coach made the decision to keep him out.

“Adreian is not being a wimp about it — he wants to play,” Izzo said. “He just didn’t feel he could, so I didn’t want to take the chance to suit him up and put him through that.”

That was anything but the case for Trice, who missed most of the week suffering from an illness he has had since their game against Indiana on Jan. 4.

The only preparation Trice had leading up to Saturday’s game was shooting around at practice the day before just to test the waters. Trice said after the game he was expecting only to be used in emergency situations against the Gophers.

However, the close game and senior guard Keith Appling’s foul trouble had Trice on the floor for 19 minutes.

“It felt good, but I’m tired,” Trice said after the game, slumped in a chair in front of his locker.

Trice also went on to say he was contemplating sitting out of practice Sunday and instead using the time to sleep and regain energy.

Another player that had a recent battle with illness is sophomore forward Matt Costello, who missed the better half of December due to mononucleosis and said he still doesn’t feel 100 percent.

Junior forward Branden Dawson also has been feeling dizzy on the court and lacking energy, and is having tests done to see if he caught the same illness.

“Hopefully not — Matt Costello is my roommate,” Dawson told the Detroit Free Press following Saturday’s game. “Hopefully it’s not that.”