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EAST LANSING – It isn’t the usual start to the season for Tom Izzo. And then again, it is.
But the chance to get to see his Michigan State basketball team in an in early October scrimmage before walking across the street to the annual Izzone Campout is both intriguing and exciting for the 72-year-old Hall of Fame coach.
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And the chance to do both presents itself Friday, Oct. 2 (7 p.m., streaming only on Big Ten+), when the Spartans tip off against Incarnate Word at Breslin Center in their first of three exhibition games this month.
“I’m looking forward to seeing if the improvement I saw in the summer and fall with certain guys continues when the lights go on,” Izzo said after practice Wednesday. “And I’m anxious to see how the freshmen respond to bigger crowds and different things that they haven’t so far dealt with.”
Michigan State’s head coach Tom Izzo instructs players during the first basketball practice of the season on Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026, at the Breslin Center in East Lansing.
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Izzo said sophomore forward Cam Ward will not play as a precaution as he mends from a sprained ankle, though he has been practicing. Junior guard Kur Teng also will be limited, Izzo said, as he progresses from foot surgery he had right after the Spartans completed their 2025-26 eason with a Sweet 16 loss to Connecticut on March 27 to finish No. 11 in the final coaches poll.
For Teng, who averaged 7.3 points and shot 38.1% from 3-point range last season, it is a chance to test his health and stamina before MSU’s two bigger exhibition tests – at home against UConn (Oct. 20) and on the road at Marquette (Oct. 25).
“I’m trying to work my way back, but yeah, I feel good overall,” Teng said Wednesday. “This is my first injury I ever had in my life, like with surgery and all that. It could be tough, but I got some guys behind me just helping me with the whole process.
“I feel like I…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/court-campout-tom-izzo-gets-090459350.html
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Publish date : 2026-10-02 09:04:00
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