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Tom Izzo planning to make changes to lineup?

Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo indicated that he would be making changes to the starting lineup.

Gregory Shamus

Michigan State Spartans head coach Tom Izzo sounds ready to make changes to the starting lineup. "My experiment with two bigs is about over," he said on Wednesday after the Spartans lost to Miami, 67-59.

Derrick Nix and Adreian Payne played poorly as the Spartans allowed too many open looks for the Hurricanes from deep range. Miami was able to convert those opportunities, going 9-for-16 from beyond the arc.

Payne had been shifted over from center to power forward to allow him to play alongside Nix, but could move back. "It's like I'm the problem for the team, so I guess me playing (center) would make it better," Payne said. If Payne moves back to center either he or Nix will have to come off the bench as a sixth man.

With Gary Harris and Travis Trice returning to the court against Miami one of them could be placed in the starting lineup in place of one of the two big men.

Nix knows that the Spartans big men have to perform better, whether as starters or off the bench, "honestly, me and Payne cost us the game," Nix said.