There may be times, Michigan State coach Tom Izzo said, when the Spartans start four freshmen this season.
Now for most teams, such a statement, made Thursday during MSU’s annual Media Day press conference at the Breslin Center, would be a giant red flag signaling a collection of potential problems.
For one thing, the number of freshmen-laden starting fives capable of holding their own against Wisconsin, Indiana or Purdue are few and far in between. Then there’s the issue of what returning veterans are losing minutes to a newbie who hasn’t come close to paying the same amount of dues under the hard-driving Izzo.