Between two high-stakes games against Arkansas and Kentucky in the Champions Classic on Tuesday rests an unfamiliar foe: San José State. Michigan State is San José State’s only top-25 opponent on its nonconference schedule — a prime setup for what Izzo described as a "trap game."

"Is it a trap game? Well, of course, you got Arkansas on one side and Kentucky on the other," Izzo said. "That's a trap game, no matter what your team, but at the same time, they're well coached. Their Coach was in the Big 10, so he knows us pretty well, and we got to play better."

MSU tips off against San José State on Thursday, Nov. 13 at 6:30 p.m. at the Breslin Center. The game will air on the Big Ten Network.

MSU played into its strengths on Saturday night. The team rebounded exceptionally, played sound defense and did enough in transition to stop a running Razorbacks squad. After three days of practice, Izzo said there’s been a lot of work on shooting and offensive scheme.

"I thought in general, we had enough good shots to make a lot more than we did," Izzo said. "It's an issue right now that we have to deal with, so I think we shot it better during the summer, but now the lights are on. We'll see how we do Thursday."

After two games last week, the second guard spot has been a sore spot for MSU. Both sophomore Kur Teng and transfer senior Trey Fort have started, with neither making any immediate impact on either side of the ball. Fort thrives in a more physical and penetrative role, while Teng has gotten more minutes as an open three-point shooter.

With the "surprise" of freshmen Cam Ward and Jordan Scott, the shooting guard position could be filled with another forward. MSU has experimented with its lineup during the game often to this point. Especially last weekend, MSU found value in going to a more forward-heavy lineup for pressure on the glass and in the paint.

After a few practices, Izzo said he’s still evaluating everything to see who fits best in that position.

"I'm trying to evaluate practices and who's making shots and who's guarding right," Izzo said. "It's something that is still a work in progress. We're pretty stable at four positions; we're not as stable at that position. What we need is someone who either makes a lot of shots or really guards somebody, and if you're not getting either one, then we've got some problems. And right now, that's where we are, but it'll get corrected."

San José State, led by former Nebraska head coach Tim Miles, will want to run the court and score quickly to limit MSU’s half-court defense. SJSU emphasizes pushing the ball forward, even in the halfcourt, where they often shoot in the first half of the shot clock.

Point guard Colby Garland has been the go-to player at SJSU; his 25.5 points per game lead the team, and he can score in a handful of different ways. Garland is a spot-up shooter who has no issue making difficult shots. On the other hand, he’s a dribble penetration threat that can cause issues for an MSU team that has struggled moving its feet and playing clean at times.

Through two games, he’s shooting 67% from the field with an average of 8 assists.

SJSU will play small ball through and through. Its guards make space for themselves with shifty ballhandling and a quick-release shot. Further down the roster, SJSU’s Ben Roseborough is the team’s leading three-point shooter. So far, the redshirt freshman guard shoots 57% from three on 10 points per game.

In a Spartans vs Spartans battle at Breslin, MSU will need to focus on getting back in the fast break and their individual defensive assignments to thwart any chance of a demoralizing upset.

"I don't think we're a really good team yet, but I think we took a step in the right direction," Izzo said. "We just got a bunch of steps to take."