But moving on doesn’t mean ignoring a number of issues within the Spartans' play.

The score in MSU’s 85-67 exhibition win over Ferris State from NCAA Division II on Tuesday night didn’t quite tell the whole story of a surprisingly competitive contest, where the Spartans pulled away in the second half. Postgame frustration from Izzo came down to grit and effort — or lack thereof — from a team with bigger expectations this season. 

Izzo said he would give his team a poor grade in the "grit" category and thought some guys on the floor were just "existing." He said his team would feel this sentiment in the following days at practice. 

"You should give me a call after tomorrow’s practice. I’ll give you a good, good view of that because tomorrow should be fun, because coaches aren’t real happy," Izzo said. "We’ll see mental toughness and physical toughness."

MSU hasn’t been to the Final Four since 2019 — tied for the longest drought in Izzo’s 30 years as head coach —  for a litany of reasons, like not having a go-to guy. Izzo has continuously expressed his hope for senior guard Jaden Akins to step into that role .

On Tuesday night, Akins scored three points on 1-for-5 shooting, missing on both of his three-point attempts. Sophomore forward Xavier Booker, arguably MSU’s most gifted shooter at 6-foot-11, didn’t take a shot until over eight minutes into the game. 

"Nobody’s raised their head above anyone else, as you saw tonight," Izzo said postgame.

MSU transfer forward Frankie Fidler logged a team-high 14 points, six from free throws, while sophomore forward Coen Carr ran the break and bullied his way inside for 12 points. Ferris State’s Mykel Bingham — brother of former MSU men’s basketball forward Marcus Bingham Jr. — scored a game-high 16 points.

With some wriggle room before the real deal begins for MSU next Monday, Izzo was not shy about experimenting with rotations. 

Akins started in the backcourt alongside sophomore guard Jeremy Fears Jr. with Fidler, sophomore forward Xavier Booker and transfer graduate center Szymon Zapala in the frontcourt. Less than three minutes into the game, three new Spartans took the floor: Carr, junior guard Tre Holloman and junior forward Jaxon Kohler. Freshmen Jase Richardson and Jesse McCulloch also shared the floor in the first half. 

Izzo’s most fruitful lineup of the evening was a smaller one, featuring Carr, Kohler and three guards. With the quicker frontcourt, the Spartans put the game away in the second half. 

MSU dominated the glass, out-rebounding the Bulldogs 45-32 and grabbing 16 offensive rebounds. Still, Izzo said he wants more effort from his team. 

"Guys gotta play better in effort-related things," Izzo said. "Run your lane. Guard your person. Get some rebounds."

Ferris State allowed MSU to get out in transition early, which opened things up from behind the arc for the rest of the way, but the Spartans failed to capitalize. They shot 7-for-22 from long range and 28-for-64 from the field. 

"We just missed wide-open threes," Izzo said. 

Last November, No. 4-ranked MSU shot 1-for-20 from three against James Madison in an overtime loss to begin the season. That defeat set the tone for an underwhelming winter for the Spartans, who still hope to win Izzo’s second national title. 

MSU tips off its season on Monday, Nov. 4 at 7 p.m. at Breslin Center against Monmouth University.