Michigan State basketball's freshmen having to grow up fast in their first month

EAST LANSING — Development and incremental inclusion long has been Tom Izzo’s strategy of bringing along Michigan State basketball freshmen.

However, it continues to be a baptism by fire in the Spartans’ rookies in their first month. An exhibition game against No. 8 Tennessee. A Champions Classic showcase against No. 9 Duke. And next up a West Coast showdown against No. 3 Arizona in the Acrisure Classic.

Izzo made it clear after No. 19 MSU’s 81-49 win over Alcorn State on Sunday, however, that despite their tantalizing talents — Coen Carr’s otherworldly dunks, Jeremy Fears Jr.’s emerging leadership, Xavier Booker’s long wingspan and outside shooting potential — that “every one of them has a weakness we gotta get better.”

“One way to get used to it is to try to play as hard as you can as long as you can every day and stay focused on the task. And that's kind of what we're trying to get out of a couple of our freshmen,” Izzo said after practice Monday. “Some of them gotta play harder earlier.”

The Spartans (3-2) face the Wildcats (5-0) on Thursday in Palm Desert, California, in a Thanksgiving Day matinee. Tipoff is 4 p.m. (Fox).

Izzo was able to give the three freshmen he’s relying on this season — guard Gehrig Normand expects to redshirt — their most extended action Sunday against the Braves.

Carr got 11 points on 5-for-6 shooting — including three highlight reel dunks — along with three rebounds and a steal in 24 minutes for the 6-foot-5, 220-pound swingman. It was his most action since debuting with 28 minutes in the Spartans’ season-opening overtime home loss to James Madison.

“I feel like a lot of guys got their confidence up, because we know we play Arizona next,” said Carr, who is averaging six points and three rebounds over 18.4 minutes while shooting 75% on his 16 attempts.

Fears played a career-high 21 minutes Sunday and went 4-for-5 for nine points with five assists to one turnover, two steals and one board for the 6-2, 190-pound point guard. He played 18 minutes in a win over Southern Indiana, just 7 minutes in the 74-65 loss to Duke on Nov. 14 in Chicago, then played 16 minutes in Friday’s 74-54 home win over Butler.

“I definitely think these past few games have helped us a lot, a learning experience,” said Fears, who is averaging 4.0 points and 2.8 assists in 14.6 minutes. “Obviously, there's a lot that we don't know, and that's gonna take time. Baby steps. And eventually, when it's time — March, that grind time — we should all be put together.”

Booker got a season-best 18 minutes against Alcorn State, finishing with five points and five rebounds and a block but shot just 2-for-8 overall and 1-for-6 on 3-point attempts. He played 17 minutes against Southern Indiana but got just 16 total minutes against James Madison, Duke and Butler.

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“It can do nothing but help,” Izzo said Sunday. “Coen got to play more minutes. Jeremy I thought got a lot out of it. Book’s still gotta learn how to play harder and harder and harder, and stronger and stronger and stronger. It’s just gonna take some time.”

The 6-11 Booker is averaging 2.8 points and 1.8 rebounds in his 10.4 minutes so far. He could have his work cut out for him against Arizona, which features four 7-footers, all of whom are sturdier than the 220-pound five-star prospect. Senior Oumar Ballo (7-foot) and freshman Motiejus Krivas (7-2) both weigh 260 pounds, and sophomores Dylan Anderson (240 pounds) and Henri Veesaar (225) both have a decided size advantage over Booker and MSU’s other healthy big men, senior Mady Sissoko (6-9, 240) and sophomore Carson Cooper (6-11, 240).

“You can be weak, but you got to be aggressive. And some of that still a work in progress, and it's gonna be a work in progress,” Izzo said Monday. “And that's what makes it so hard, maybe the way the schedule is right now. And we need to get some games where we can get some guys some reps. That's probably not happening. So in the meantime, it'll probably shrink our playing group a little bit.”

The schedule doesn’t get much easier after Thursday. The Spartans host Georgia Southern on Nov. 28, then open Big Ten play with Wisconsin on Dec. 5 at Breslin Center and a trip to Nebraska on Dec. 10. MSU then plays Baylor on Dec. 16 in Detroit before things slow down somewhat at the end of the month with games against Oakland, Stony Brook and Indiana State before resuming Big Ten play.

“A full plate” for the freshmen ahead between Thanksgiving and Christmas, Izzo said Sunday.

“It screws up the maturation of the freshmen,” Izzo said of the schedule, “especially when they need these.”

Contact Chris Solari: csolari@freepress.com. Follow him @chrissolari.

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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan State basketball's freshmen must grow up fast in first month