Three Things We Need to See from Spartans in Season Opener

Tom Izzo and the Michigan State Spartans begin their quest for a national championship Monday night as the regular season tips off against Quinnipiac at the Breslin Center.

The Spartans have already played three exhibition games, dropping the last two. The most recent loss was a demoralizing defeat against Marquette that saw Michigan State trail for 35 of the game's 40 minutes.

Now, Izzo's Spartans enter the season as the No. 6-ranked team in the nation, second in the Big Ten and carrying enormous expectations for a program that has been out of the national championship spotlight for nearly a decade.

There's one way the Spartans can wash the nasty taste of losing their last two exhibition games out of their mouths: win. Winning cures everything, but the Spartans can't simply escape with a victory against Quinnipiac. They need to make a statement and, ideally, dominate the Bobcats to restore the confidence they had a month ago in East Lansing.

That won't necessarily be an easy task, though. The Bobcats are just one year removed from winning back-to-back MAAC regular-season championships. Quinnipiac knows how to battle and will give the Spartans everything it has from tip to final buzzer.

If Michigan State wants to deliver a convincing victory, here are three things the Spartans need to accomplish in their season opener to show the rest of the country they're for real.

This is something that anchors most Tom Izzo teams. Define your team as a rebounding juggernaut, and you'll find yourself in most, if not all, basketball games.

Last year, the Spartans' frontcourt, led by Jaxon Kohler and Carson Cooper, established itself as one of the team's biggest strengths on the glass. However, both players have since left East Lansing. Kohler graduated and returned to the NCAA by transferring to BYU, while Cooper graduated and is now playing professionally with Memphis.

Now, the Spartans will lean on players like Antone Bonke, Jesse McCullough, Ethan Taylor and Kaleb Glenn to hold down the frontcourt and ensure Michigan State isn't outmatched down low.

Marquette outrebounded the Spartans by 10 (33-23), which was completely out of character for an Izzo-coached team. If Michigan State is going to go as far as it's expected to this season, its big men need to get tougher and more physical down low.

The Spartans have three players who figure to be the team's biggest stars this season: Jeremy Fears Jr., Jordan Scott and Jasiah Jervis. These three aren't just among the team's best scoring options; they're also quite possibly its three best defenders.

Izzo needs to embrace the freshman, Jervis, and give him the starting opportunity right out of the gate. Jervis led the Spartans in three-pointers made in each of their last two exhibition games, showing that he can provide an immediate offensive spark.

Scott has grown bigger and smarter, bringing even more tenacity than he showed as a freshman when he was sporting his signature pigtails. Now, Scott looks like the friend next door to the friend you don't invite home to meet Mom.

Fears Jr. is the betting favorite for the Wooden Award for a reason. He'll continue finding open teammates and creating opportunities for everyone around him. However, we could see a regression in his assist numbers if the big men can't get their act together down low and finish the opportunities he creates.

There's a chance these two players could become the Spartans' biggest disappointments this season.

Carr needed to enter this season with a more reliable outside shot, as his incredible dunking ability can only take him so far. Unfortunately, Carr looks like he's picked up right where he left off last season. Through the exhibition games, he's shooting just 5-for-14 (36%) from the field and an abysmal 0-for-4 from three-point range.

If Carr can't find early success, his confidence could take a hit that follows him throughout the season. We saw this play out last year, and the early signs are beginning to look awfully familiar.

Bonke, meanwhile, was limited to just nine minutes of playing time across the last two exhibition games, including only three minutes against Marquette. He didn't see a single minute of second-half action in either loss.

The transfer from Charlotte was expected to work his way directly into the starting lineup, but too many poor performances, paired with some truly outstanding play from Jesse McCullough, may have cost Bonke his starting opportunity and a significant amount of playing time.

If Michigan State can accomplish these three things, not only should the Spartans walk away with a convincing victory, but they'll also help reintroduce the idea of a national championship into the minds of fans who may be feeling a little uneasy after two consecutive exhibition losses.