Tom Izzo reveals his expectations of USC

The Michigan State vs. USC game is the leading ship in the fleet for Day 2 of the NCAA Tournament first round and all eyes will be on Trojans vs. Spartans just a few minutes after noon ET. However, head MSU coach Tom Izzo will have his eyes on USC’s two primary playmakers, Boogie Ellis and Drew Peterson, the first of which Izzo claims is one of the better guards the Spartans have faced all season.

After another grueling 20-game Big Ten slate, Michigan State is chomping at the bit to face an opponent from a foreign conference. Finally, Coach Izzo gets to scout a coach and a team he hasn’t seen already.

“I’m just looking forward to playing against somebody different, seeing where our team is,” said Izzo, who then complimented USC coach Andy Enfield. “But Andy has done a really good job with this team. I’m telling you, they have a guard that’s as good as any guard we faced this year in Boogie Ellis. And Peterson is another one that’s kind of a tremendous mismatch at 6-9, maybe one of the better passers I’ve seen.”

USC won with its front-court the last few years as the Mobley brothers (Evan and Isaiah) led the way for a series of defensive-minded Trojan teams. But this year’s club is pretty thin with bodies down low. They still have some big bodies, but it’s a far more perimeter-oriented club with Ellis and Peterson leading the way. To stop USC’s offense, you have to stop those two playmakers. Tom Izzo knows that’s the key in today’s contest.

“So we’re going to have to contain Ellis and not a lot of people have,” Izzo continued. “That’s why he’s a First-Team All-Pac-12. That’s why he’s helped them do what they do. We’ll see what we can throw at them. But I’m looking forward to it. I’m glad we’re in Columbus, and hopefully we’ll play well.”

A game smack-dab in the middle of Big Ten country and one state over from Michigan ought to play into the Spartans’ favor. That MSU fanbase tends to travel well, meanwhile USC fans, of which there are less than MSU fans, have to traverse most of the country to get to these first-round matchups. The pressure is all on Sparty to take care of business against a lower-seeded team in their own backyard.