But given what Izzo has seen, the 64-year-old Hall of Fame coach couldn't find many faults in the team's performance thus far, even with the absence of shooting guards Joshua Langford and Kyle Ahrens, who combine for 20.8 points a game.

"I do feel good about where this team has come offensively and defensively for the year," Izzo said. "I think there’s been a little bit of a let down here with our offense because of two key 3-point shooters missing, but we’re going to focus on some things this week to do a better job on that."

Langford has been out since Dec. 29 with a left ankle injury and Ahrens has missed parts of the last five games with a back ailment. 

Without Langford — and partly without Ahrens — MSU is averaging 20.3 attempts from 3-point range, 2.9 fewer shots than with the 6-foot-5 standout. Freshmen Aaron Henry and Gabe Brown have seen a significant increase in playing time with Langford and Ahrens out, but only account for a combined 7.8 points a game. 

The Spartans' averaged 87.6 points through their first 13 games, but since the resumption of conference play — and without Langford — the team average is down to 76.7.

Izzo admitted Tuesday that Langford saw a specialist again on Monday and the team announced Wednesday that Langford will miss the remainder of the season.

"I think it’s going to be so dangerous when they get back, like get back full and healthy," forward Xavier Tillman said of Langford and Ahrens. "But my thing is I don’t want them to come back 75 percent and hurt their future. I want them to rest as long as they need to and we’re going to hold it down the best we can."

Among Izzo's other observations, he feels the team's rebounding effort has lacked, especially of late.

The Spartans were out-rebounded 42-33 overall in their 73-63 loss at Purdue on Sunday, which ended a 13-game win streak. It marks the second time in three games that MSU's opponent beat them on the boards, but Izzo said he won't stand for it.

"Nobody is getting 16 offensive rebounds against us again," Izzo said, referring to Sunday's upset. "We’ll bring the helmets and pads back (if we have to) from (Mark) Dantonio, we’ll steal some from him. Because we’re not doing that. There are certain anchors of this program that are not going to change."

Even with MSU falling short against the Boilermakers, the loss marked the third game in six days. The Spartans are off until Saturday, when they host Indiana (12-8, 3-6). Six of the remaining 10 games in the regular season are at the Breslin Center, but seven of which are against teams either currently ranked or were once ranked in the AP Top 25.

"We know we have another half of Big Ten play and it’s going to be even tougher," said shooting guard and co-captain Matt McQuaid. "I feel like we have to take it to another level more."

ESPN's College GameDay comes to East Lansing

ESPN College GameDay is returning to MSU's campus for Saturday's tipoff with the Hoosiers (6 p.m.). Izzo's longtime friends Rece Davis, Jay Bilas, Seth Greenberg and Jay Williams host the traveling pregame college basketball program, and this marks the fifth time the show has come to the Breslin Center, the most among any Big Ten school.

It marks the first time GameDay has returned to campus since ESPN's Outside The Lines released a series of investigative reports alleging the university mishandled complaints of sexual misconduct committed by student athletes in Izzo's and football coach Mark Dantonio's program.

OTL released their first reports last January, amid the sentencing of disgraced MSU doctor Larry Nassar, who was sentenced to prison for sexually abusing nearly 200 women and girls.

On Tuesday, Izzo was asked if some MSU fans reserved the right to be angry at ESPN for coming to campus. Izzo noted that the GameDay crew is an entirely different division of ESPN, and that it's important to differentiate, but by welcoming ESPN and supporting the players, it can become an important part of the "healing process" for the university and the survivors impacted.

"I look at it this way: part of the healing process is that you have to figure out what’s right and what’s wrong and people are going to reach out to you in different ways. I think this is a great thing for our fans and for our university. I think it’s a part of the healing process. I really do."