After a rest day, Michigan State men's basketball was back at practice Tuesday afternoon. The Spartans are coming off of a tough 82-69 road loss to Indiana.

Head coach Tom Izzo met with the media before practice and players met with the media after practice on Tuesday to discuss the Indiana loss and to look ahead to the next game against Iowa. Spartans Illustrated was on site to hear what Izzo and the players had to say.

“After watching the film, I still felt like we played hard enough,” Izzo said to the media in his press conference on Tuesday.

Izzo also noted that certain stretches are hurting the team when the Spartans take bad shots and also give up buckets on the defensive end.

A big story that broke right before the loss on Sunday was senior guard Tyson Walker’s health. Walker played through a stomach virus, which was non-contagious, as he was practicing and spoke to the media on Tuesday.

“It was tough,” Walker said about the virus. “I’m definitely a little tired, fatigued from not eating.”

Despite not being at full health, Walker played 33 minutes and tallied eight points, four steals, two assists and two rebounds. Once the game tipped off, Walker wasn’t really focused on how long he was in the game for.

“I didn’t even know I played 33 minutes that game,” Walker said.

When asked if the decision to play came right down until game time, Walker mentioned that he was “going to play regardless.”

“Right before the game, I had to tell Coach (Izzo) that I was ready to go,” Walker said. “If I didn’t say that I don’t know if he would’ve played me.”

Walker got some rest on MSU’s off day on Monday. He was in his bed “all day” getting sleep and some well-deserved rest.

“Tyson, I think is back at 90 percent,” Izzo said. “Just a little weakness from the two (or) three days when he didn’t eat.”

Walker practiced on Tuesday and is expected to play on Thursday against Iowa.

Senior forward Malik Hall has missed MSU’s past three games with a foot injury.

In Hall’s absence, other players are expected to step up to fill the void that the senior left. Sophomore guard Pierre Brooks II is one of those players who needs to make an impact.

“It’s kind of hard to not put pressure on myself right now because he is maybe one of our best players,” Brooks said regarding stepping up in place of Hall. “I just got to keep my confidence and keep moving forward.”

However, Brooks has struggled shooting the ball. In his last six games, Brooks is 1-for-14 from the field. He’s only scored two points in that six game stretch.

“When you put so much time and effort into something…and it doesn’t really show, it can put you down a little bit,” Brooks said.

When asked by the media if it was an issue with his form, Brooks shot down that question saying that his release and technique has “felt the same way” since he was a baby.

Despite the struggles, one of Brooks’ mentors, graduate forward Joey Hauser, has played a big role in motivating him.

“He’s actually been encouraging me to shoot a lot,” Brooks said about Hauser. “Joey’s like a big mentor to me.”

Despite the struggles, Izzo has not lost faith in Brooks.

"I believe in Pierre Brooks," Izzo said. "Now, he's gotta do the things that make me believe in him."

The players had an off day on Monday after playing seven games in 19 days. While recovery and rest are important for athletes, the itch to get in the gym on an off day is hard to overcome for freshman center Jaxon Kohler.

“Part of me wanted to get in the gym (on Monday), but at the same time… if you are working yourself too much it becomes counterproductive,” Kohler said.

This is Kohler’s first rodeo as a true freshman with the grind of the tightly-packed Big Ten schedule.

“Having that rest day yesterday was…really important to all of us,” Kohler said.

The Iowa Hawkeyes (12-7 overall, 4-4 in the Big Ten) pose the next challenge for the Spartans. Iowa will come into East Lansing after winning four of its last five contests, but did lose last time out to Ohio State.

Izzo knows that the Hawkeyes will be a tough team to beat. Izzo noted Iowa’s good guard-play with players like junior Tony Perkins and graduate senior Connor McCaffery. Also, MSU will have to deal with junior forward Kris Murray who averages 21.3 points and 8.9 rebounds per game.

Izzo mentioned in his press conference that Iowa is “the best offensive team in the league by a longshot.”