Senior captain Kohler scored a team-leading 16 points with 15 rebounds in the win, but often failed to keep up with his man on defense and got fooled on screens. In his post-game press conference, Izzo called out the big man for his inconsistent defense. Kohler said the team needs to come out with a higher intensity on Saturday.

"We can't afford to get to these really slow starts against teams like Arkansas, whoever. We just can't do that, and that's not MSU's way," Kohler said. "So going forward, that's going to be our biggest improvement —starting to start the game, playing good defense, rebounding."

MSU and Arkansas will tip off at 7 p.m Saturday, Nov. 8 at Breslin Center. The game will be broadcast on Fox Sports.

Arkansas is led by athletic veteran Trevon Brazile and a pair of five-star freshmen, Darius Acuff Jr. and Meleek Thomas. Brazile set a career high with 25 points in the Razorbacks’ 109-77 win over Southern. Much like MSU, Arkansas thrives in transition, scoring nearly 30% of its points on the fast break and often finding Brazile for a slam or easy bucket.

"Usually I like the track meet, but this one — they’re a better track team than we are right now," Izzo said. 

Arkansas had no issues from beyond the arc and in transition either. The Razorbacks shot 35.7% from three, with three players reaching 20 points. 

On Thursday, Izzo spoke with reporters about what will be the first game against a ranked non-conference opponent at Breslin Center since 2019. Izzo said the team had taken significant steps forward since the Colgate game, and they understand the importance of this game. Overall, more needs to be seen from senior center Carson Cooper and Carr in the backcourt, especially facing a sharpshooting, fast Arkansas squad.

"This is an athletic team that can shoot the ball, that’s got great guard play and good size, and they’re eight-deep with really good players," Izzo said. "So this is going to be a great test for us, but if we’re not at our best, we’re in trouble with the way they can drive it."

Scoring 109 points is no small feat, even against a mid-major in Southern. Despite that, head coach Jon Calipari wasn’t pleased with the way his team played defense, allowing 28 points in the paint and a 44.4% clip from three. 

Arkansas is also relatively inexperienced in its best players. The Razorbacks entered with the nation’s No. 4 freshmen class, according to 247Sports. Acuff and Thomas, though widely talented, lack the experience that’ll only come with time.

MSU can exploit Arkansas’ shortcomings in several ways. Led by four veterans, the Spartans know how to play team basketball — finding the open man and cutting for easy lay-ins. The teams’ transition games match up well, so the winner will likely need to find another way to score — the Razorbacks from three, or MSU in the half-court offense.

Forcing Arkansas’ freshmen and newcomers into uncomfortable situations will be necessary to win. MSU forced 10 turnovers against Colgate, five of which came from Jeremy Fears Jr. steals.

MSU also found ways to be efficient on offense, facing different defenses. Colgate ran man-to-man, a 2-3 zone as well as a 1-3-1 zone. Historically, zone defenses have tripped up MSU, but perimeter wings and guards were able to diagnose holes in the zone, leading to comfortable paint scores. 

MSU will be outmatched in pure talent on Saturday, but what it lacks in skill, will be made up for in chemistry and toughness. These are the types of games that players and fans will remember for a lifetime, Izzo said.

"We don’t get to have these kinds of games at home all the time, so it is a big game. It’s a big game for them too. And there’ve been a lot of players before you who paved the way to make it a big game, and now you’ve got to continue because of them."