"Keith (Appling), Adreian (Payne), and Gary (Harris), those guys were phenomenal," senior forward Branden Dawson said. "Watching those guys, and watching film on those guys we took (into consideration, their ability) to work hard, and how they developed their game."

To further showcase the impact of losing Harris, head coach Tom Izzo said the team's biggest weakness right now is defense at the shooting guard position.

"I'd say that right now (defense from the two-guard), that's our weakest spot," Izzo said. "Gary Harris was the best, I think, the best defensive player in this league (from that position), I really do (believe that)...Harris could lock-down anybody any we just don't have a lock-down guy at that spot right now."

If the team hopes to have success this season, it will need Dawson, junior guard Denzel Valentine, senior guard Travis Trice, and junior forward Matt Costello to become the new core for MSU men's basketball.

Dawson finished Friday night's 101-46 win over St. Cloud State with a double-double, scoring 13 points on 5-of-9 shooting to go with 10 rebound, and four steals. Costello also notched a double-double, scoring 12 points on 6-of-7 shooting, while pulling down 10 rebounds as well. Costello did most of his damage in the first half, scoring all 12 of his points in the first 20 minutes.

After the game Costello, mentioned that the play of himself, Trice, Dawson, and Valentine gives the other players on the roster an example that they can build their respective games around. 

"There does need to be a core of guys that the (rest of the team) can look at and take an example from and bring it (into) in their own game, like having that confidence behind them that those four guys are playing well," Costello said.

Trice led the team in points with 20 on 8-of-13 overall shooting, 4-of-8 from 3-point range. Trice also had three assists and two steals to go with his 20 point effort.

However, the star of the night was Valentine. Valentine notched a triple-double scoring 15 points on 5-of-7 shooting, grabbing 11 rebounds and dishing out 11 assists. 

"(Denzel Valentine) is just more confident," Izzo said. "There's not a kid I've had, not a one, not even (Mateen) Cleaves, not (Gary) Harris, I don't know anybody that has worked as hard as he has." 

Valentine, Trice, Dawson, and Costello led MSU with 60 of the team's 101-point total on Saturday night, and the team will more-than-likely need their strong play to continue throughout the 2014-15 season, if the team hopes to succeed.

"(I want the team to) win a Big Ten Championship, a Big Ten Tournament Championship, go to a Final Four and win a National Championship," Costello said.