For the second game in a row, the No. 9 MSU men’s basketball team likely will be without the services of Travis Trice.
The freshman guard sustained a groin injury in a loss to Michigan on Jan. 17. He played well in 16 minutes the following game against Purdue, but the injury forced him to sit out the Spartans’ win over Minnesota on Wednesday.
Although head coach Tom Izzo didn’t say Monday that Trice won’t play against Illinois in Champaign, Ill., on Tuesday (7 p.m., ESPN), all signs point toward him missing his second straight game.
“He practiced a hair yesterday, but he’s got a pulled groin and it’s not good,” Izzo said. “He didn’t play the last game at all, he hasn’t really practiced in five or six days so that’s another question mark for us.”
Trice continued to improve in the last couple weeks of Big Ten play as MSU’s primary backup point guard behind sophomore Keith Appling, Izzo said. Playing a shade under 19 minutes per game, he is averaging 5.6 points and 2.1 assists.
Now his minutes likely will have to be filled by someone else against the Fighting Illini, and Izzo said he might realize just how important Trice is to MSU if he can’t go Tuesday.
“With coaches, he’s never as good as he should be when you have him, but when you don’t have him, you say, ‘Damn, I really need that guy,’” Izzo joked.
Heading into Tuesday night, Izzo said his biggest concern is Trice and what will happen if he doesn’t play.
But one player Izzo does expect to step in against Illinois and maybe longer is freshman guard Brandan Kearney. Coming on strong as of late, Kearney is scoring 3 points in 9.1 minutes per game in Big Ten play.
“Depending on what happens with Travis here in the next week or two … It might mean Kearney has to do more and more,” Izzo said.
Kearney will be expected to play some point guard night, Izzo said, along with senior guard Brandon Wood. Izzo is impressed with the way Kearney sees the floor and passes the ball, but he said his ballhandling, quickness and defense could be tested.
Izzo also said Kearney’s mind for the game is one of the best on the team, and he’s avoided hitting the proverbial freshman wall.
“Kearney seems to just be chugging along,” Izzo said. “He’s never been too high, never been too low, and he’s earned everything he’s gotten.”
Still, Izzo said the Spartans would miss Trice, who he described as a “key guy” off MSU’s bench, against Illinois’ talented backcourt.
“If you play teams that are guard oriented, you need him in there,” Izzo said of Trice. “So it hurts us a little bit.”
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