East Lansing, Mich. - Gabe Brown is the latest Michigan State player to test positive for COVID-19, head coach Tom Izzo revealed during his weekly press conference on Tuesday.
Brown, a junior guard, tested positive “at the end of last week,” Izzo said. “So we are hoping to have Gabe back early in February.
“It’s a shame, now losing Gabe because he was one of our best shooters. We feel like the last game (against Purdue), we did not play him enough.”
Izzo also said an assistant coach has tested positive. Izzo did not reveal the name of the coach, he said, because he did not ask the coach if it was okay at this time to go public with that information.
“As far as the coach, he will be off for 10 days,” Izzo said.
Izzo did not elaborate on what will happen to the lineup with Brown out and senior guard Joshua Langford questionable for Thursday’s scheduled game at Rutgers.
Langford has been out due to COVID-19 protocol since testing positive earlier this month. Langford’s required 17 days away from playing, as set by Big Ten protocol, is due to expire on Thursday. That’s the case with walk-on Steven Izzo, who tested positive on the same day as Langford.
“Steven and Josh should be eligible on that day, for their first day of competition,” Izzo said. “They have had their heart test, so now they are in the workout part of it today and tomorrow and then the 17th day would be on the game day. I don’t know if they will play but there’s a chance.”
Izzo said freshman center Mady Sissoko is a bit further along in his protocol. He tested positive earlier than Langford and Steven Izzo.
“Mady is going to go,” Izzo said. “He will be able to play. Whether he will play or not, I don’t know. When you’ve been out, there is going to be a curve of getting back in shape, catching the ball. I might know a little bit more after tomorrow because he will have today and tomorrow to practice.
“But we are goign to show up and we are going to have a team. No matter who is playing, we’re going to be there. I think the guys are excited about the opportunity to play.”
COMP’S TAKE: Speaking purely about basketball, the Gabe Brown news is a tough setback for the junior guard.
Brown, who started 16 games last year and ranked fourth on the team in minutes played while averaging 9.0 points per game, has seen his playing time reduced as the Spartans have reworked the playing group with A.J. Hoggard as the new starting point guard, and former starting point guard Rocket Watts getting more minutes at the wing. With Watts playing more minutes at the wing, Brown has been the player who has seen his playing time dip.
Izzo said there were plans to increase Brown’s playing time, even before Langford tested positive. Izzo said the decision to play Brown only six minutes in MSU’s most recent game, a loss to Purdue, wasn’t due to anything Brown did wrong.
When Langford was lost to COVID-19, Brown was expected to move into the starting lineup and play minutes more similar to his role of a year ago. Unfortunately for Brown, Michigan State has had to postpone three games since Langford’s absence, due to multiple players in the team testing positive. And now, Brown is out and will have to try to work back into shape in early February.
Langford is scheduled to be back for Thursday’s game against Rutgers, but it’s unclear where his level of conditioning and preparedness will be. Malik Hall, MSU’s most versatile frontcourt player, has worked at wing forward in the past and said there are plans that he might play at that position on Thursday.
