MSU's Joshua Langford sits as precaution; knee injury slows Joey Hauser

Matt Charboneau
The Detroit News

East Lansing — Joshua Langford did not play on Friday night in Michigan State’s victory over Detroit Mercy, but it was merely a precaution as the senior has been battling a sore knee.

Playing again for the first time in nearly two years after enduring two surgeries on his foot, Langford played an average of 25.3 minutes in each of the first three games. And with three games this week and a trip to Virginia coming up on Wednesday, Michigan State coach Tom Izzo figured it was a good time to give Langford a break.

Michigan State's  Rocket Watts and Joshua Langford warm up before the Spartans take on Detroit Mercy.

“It was a coach’s and a trainer’s decision more than Josh's,” Izzo said. “He has a little bit of a sore knee but nothing at all. (He) could have played.”

No. 8 Michigan State could have used Langford on Friday as it had to rally in the second half to avoid an upset, beating Detroit Mercy, 83-76, behind a career-high 23 points from Rocket Watts.

There is no lingering issue and Izzo said Langford will play Sunday when Michigan State hosts Western Michigan and on Wednesday when the Spartans head to Virginia for the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.

“At this point in time in a year after playing 29 minutes (against Duke) and traveling, I just wasn't going to take any chances,” Izzo said. “I told you guys I was going to do that, so don't read into it. He’s playing on Sunday and he's going to play on (Wednesday), and that's the way it'll be.

"So it’s not this day-to-day where we’re trying to manage him or even manages minutes. I would like a little less than 30 (minutes), but Josh Langford is a valuable member of this team and I told every one of our guys tonight, ‘Appreciate Josh, too. Appreciate him.’”

Michigan State's Joey Hauser works the ball against UDM's Marquell Fraser and Antoine Davis in the first half.

Hauser banged up

Langford wasn’t the only one nursing a knee on Friday.

Joey Hauser started but banged his knee late in the first half, spending some time with the trainer while running back and forth behind the bench and riding the stationary bike. He came out in the second half with a sleeve on the knee, but after banging it, he was having some trouble moving.

Hauser fought through it to score 10 points, nine coming in the second half. However, it slowed him down defensively, forcing Izzo to sit Hauser for the final seven-plus minutes of the game.

“He was dragging his knee,” Izzo said. “He didn't twist it or anything, he just hit it on the floor. So it's a bruise, but he wasn't moving very good. But Joey's too good a player. I mean, we need him in there. He did liven us up in that one stretch and then really struggled defensively because I don't think he could move as good.

“So I'd say at the end it was more because of the injury, but he's got a he's got to play both ends.”

Quick turnaround

Michigan State now prepares for a quick turnaround, hosting Western Michigan at 6 p.m. on Sunday. It’s a game that seemed in jeopardy at one point this week when the Broncos (0-1) were forced to cancel a game on Wednesday against Notre Dame because of positive COVID-19 tests.

But according to Western Michigan on Friday, all signs point to the game being played.

If the game is played, Izzo is hoping for a better effort from his big men than he got against Detroit Mercy.

“I think it's a good example of how the whole year is going to be,” Izzo said. “We're not over-talented. We don't come in here like Kentucky or maybe Gonzaga this year. We're don't roll it out and everything goes right. … I thought we missed Josh, and I'm not making excuses, but if our fours and fives play like they did today, we’re not going to win a lot of games.

"Now they’ve played a lot better. They played a lot better at Duke, they played a lot better in the other games and they played really well against Notre Dame. They’ll play better, but they got a lesson tonight.”

mcharboneau@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @mattcharboneau

Western Michigan at No. 8 Michigan State

Tip-off: 6 Sunday, Breslin Center, East Lansing

TV/radio: BTN/760

Records: Western Michigan 0-1, Michigan State 4-0

Outlook: The Broncos had their game Wednesday against Notre Dame canceled because of COVID-19 issues. … This is the second straight year the teams have played after not facing each other since 1998.