Head coach Tom Izzo responds to questions from the media on March 21, 2014, at Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena in regards to their upcoming game against Harvard on Saturday. Izzo commented on his relationship with Harvard head coach Tommy Amaker, Payne's performance in Thursday's game, and his reaction to how Harvard plays. Betsy Agosta/The State News
There were plenty of new faces present at the first official 2014-15 men's basketball practice on Friday — so many that head coach Tom Izzo acknowledged the lack of recognizable faces could be a reason why analysts are having trouble pegging how good the Spartans will be next season.
"I've seen anywhere from seventh to eighth, or ninth, and understand all of it," Izzo said. "I've seen us as high as ninth and as low as 30th, and I understand all that too."
The 2014-15 men's basketball season is about a month away from tipping off, and the next few weeks of practice will be key in narrowing down the rotation. Izzo said there are as many as 10 or 11 players worthy of a spot, so the challenge is narrowing the list down to eight or nine.
Of the four freshmen on the team, Izzo named forward Marvin Clark Jr. guard Javon Bess and guard Lourawls Nairn Jr. as as players who have stood out.
Nairn, who goes by the nickname "Tum Tum" and was a four-star recruit according to ESPN.com, might be the fastest player Izzo has coached — an impressive feat considering former Spartan guards Kalin Lucas and Keith Appling were also noted for their speed.
"Keith was awfully quick but Tum Tum might be the fastest," Izzo said. "I'd say that's a fair statement. He's got a way to go but he's been every bit as much fun to be around and his energy level and things. It's been great"
Izzo called Bess, who was a three-star Yahoo recruit, his "surprise" recruit. The 6-foot-5 wing spent plenty of time in the gym with Nairn this summer. Izzo compared Bess to former Spartan Raymar Morgan, who was known for his versatility on both offense and defense.
"He's got size, he can shoot it better than decent, he can handle it, (grab) offensive rebounds, he's got a very high IQ," Izzo said.
On Clark, Izzo said the 6-foot-6 forward "can really shoot" and pointed out his defensive ability.
It could be a year of uncertainty for the Spartans with several young players potentially stepping into key roles. But Izzo was confident at practice, attributing the team's good chemistry and strong leadership heading into the first official practice of the season.
"I think we have the same chemistry (as last season)," Izzo said. "I thought we had good chemistry last year, we've just got guys leading them here at night, so that's been better."
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