Xavier Booker sick, Jase Richardson healing as Michigan State basketball preps for Oregon

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EAST LANSING — Tom Izzo felt Michigan State basketball recovered from its long West Coast trip and overnight flight back from Los Angeles with an intense film session Wednesday and a hard practice Thursday.

But the ninth-ranked Spartans didn’t leave California without a bit of a cost.

Xavier Booker was not at Thursday’s workout because of illness, and Izzo said even he got back to campus feeling a little under the weather. Sophomore forward Booker’s availability for Saturday’s game against Oregon is unclear. Tipoff is noon at Breslin Center (Fox).

“Book will be OK,” Izzo said after Thursday’s practice. “But it might be a couple days out.”

Michigan State’s Xavier Booker gets up off the floor after drawing a Minnesota foul on a 3-pointer during the second half on Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025, at the Breslin Center in East Lansing.

The 6-foot-11 Booker averages 6.3 points and 2.9 rebounds in 15.7 minutes off the bench. He had six points, three boards and two blocks in Tuesday night’s 63-61 loss at UCLA, the second straight defeat on the Los Angeles trip for the Spartans (18-4, 9-2 Big Ten).

“I guess a bunch of their guys got (sick) out at UCLA also,” Izzo said of Booker’s illness. “It is what it is. I was sick out there myself. I was sicker after the game.”

In that game, Booker collided in the second half with Jase Richardson, who went to the floor and did not return for the final 9:41. The 6-foot-3 freshman guard said he was fine to go back in the game, but he was limited on the five-day trip after tweaking his knee in MSU’s win over Minnesota a few days before flying to California.

“It was kind of lingering throughout the week,” Richardson said after practice Thursday. “We got out to Los Angeles, and I was still kind of feeling it in my knee. But I still felt pretty good to play, but that’s kind of what kept me out.”

Michigan State guard Jase Richardson (11) makes a jump shot against Minnesota forward Parker Fox (23) during the second half at…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/xavier-booker-sick-jase-richardson-005440086.html

Author : Detroit Free Press

Publish date : 2025-02-07 00:54:00

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