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Izzo impressed with Spartans' grit in early going

MSU's Joshua Langford met the media Monday and talked about the upcoming game against Louisville in the Big Ten-ACC Challenge. The Detroit News

East Lansing — Before Michigan State headed to Las Vegas last week, Tom Izzo wasn’t exactly sure he knew the makeup of his team.

Yeah, the Spartans head coach understood players strengths and weaknesses on the court but trying to nail down their mental toughness was something he hadn’t had a chance to figure out. That was to be expected after three straight easy wins over mid-majors.

However, Michigan State was about to begin a two-and-a-half week stretch that included the Las Vegas Invitational followed by a week with two straight road games — at Louisville and Rutgers in the Big Ten opener — then a home game with Iowa and capped by a trip to Florida.