Michigan State's first exhibition game is tonight and the Spartans will be without Korie Lucious. Lucious is recovering from arthroscopic knee surgery, but that's not why he will miss the game. He's out because Tom Izzo has suspended him for two games -- one exhibition contest and one regular season matchup -- for his drunken driving arrest at the end of August.
Lucious' suspension means he will miss tonight's game against Saginaw Valley State and the regular season opener against Eastern Michigan on Nov. 12. He will be able to play in next Monday's exhibition game against Nebraska-Omaha, but he won't make his regular season debut until Nov. 16, when the Spartans take on South Carolina as part of ESPN's College Hoops Tip-Off Marathon.
Michigan State has plenty of depth and will be able to get the younger players experience with Lucious being out, but I'm sure Izzo will be glad to have him back after this suspension is over.