REACTION: Michigan State HC Tom Izzo 'disappointed' with nervous effort

Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo hasn’t had to publicly challenge Coen Carr very often, or at all, during the junior’s rising career for the Spartans. But following Michigan State’s 76-69 exhibition game loss to UConn at PeoplesBank Arena, in Hartford, Conn., on Tuesday night, Izzo gently, kind of did that. “First time out for a lot of guys,” Izzo said. “Coen started one game last year, but he's been practicing so well and did not play very well tonight. Not from the free-throw line, not from the rebounding, not from the defensive end, and he's one of my best players. “So, I'm not calling anybody out. I wasn't satisfied with anybody except that Jeremy Fears played pretty well the whole game, even though he had turnovers. He was great in the huddles. I thought he played pretty well against a backcourt that's tough." (MORE inside SpartanMag. Join SpartanMag now - $1 for the first week - and enjoy a complimentary year of The Athletic included with your membership.)