The lineup is smaller than Michigan State fans are accustomed to. The dominating rebounding performances of the past probably won’t be duplicated very often by this group of Spartans. Scott Skiles isn’t coming back to make MSU one of the nation’s best foul-shooting teams.
But as the Spartans pivot from a scrappy 77-65 victory over Oakland in Wednesday night’s non-conference finale to Big Ten competition, one thing remains unchanged from where the previous 19 or so MSU teams were at this point despite a plague of injuries that may have crippled another program, an incredibly difficult schedule and a brutally unforgiving travel plan.