EAST LANSING - Tom Izzo was not pleased with performance of his team against Northwood (Fla.) in the first of two exhibition games prior to the season opener against UConn on November 9.

But the Michigan State coach believes his team will benefit from the teaching points gained by playing against legendary basketball coach Rollie Massimino and a Northwood team that finished runner-up in the NAIA Championship game last year.

"He loves the game, he loves the sport, it doesn't matter what level its at," said Izzo of Massimino. "His kids played that way. They played awfully well the first half. We didn't play very well, we played better the second half. They got nine offensive rebounds in the first half and none the second. But he ran good stuff. He played a little zone, he played a little press, he played a little man. He doubled the post some. He did a lot of different things.

"It is going to be a good teaching tape for us, a lot better than some of the exhibition games we have had to be honest with you. Then playing that real small lineup that they played really gives us an idea of what we have to work on and get better at with those two bigs in there."



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