MSU faces Flint's high-scoring Youngstown State guard Cameron Morse

EAST LANSING – Tom Izzo may not have known much about Cameron Morse coming out of Flint.

Michigan State’s coach does now. And he knows his Spartans could have their work cut out for them stopping the Youngstown State junior when they host the Penguins on Tuesday night (7 p.m./ESPNU).

“There is no question that when you bring in kids that are from your state,” Izzo said Monday, “they’re gonna play at a different level.”

Morse, a 6-foot-3, 185-pound guard, is one of three players who will return to Michigan with the Penguins (5-4). Youngstown State also has 6-7 sophomore forward Devin Haygood from Lincoln High in Ypsilanti and 5-11 sophomore guard Latin Davis from Ypsilanti, who played at Milan High.

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But Morse, a prolific score-first shooting guard, is the one who’ll draw the most attention from the Spartans. He scored 40 points in a 103-98 overtime loss to Toledo on Nov. 15, his second career 40-point game, and ranks fifth in Division I at 23.7 points to go with 3.3 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game.

Morse is battling a wrist injury and missed YSU’s last two games, wins over Robert Morris and Division III Oberlin. He had no major-college offers from any in-state programs out of Flint Carman-Ainsworth High, picking the Penguins over Division II Northwood and NAIA Davenport.

He’s proven that he can handle the rigors of the highest level. Morse has scored in double figures in 37 of his 54 career games for the Penguins, including averaging 20.3 points a game last season en route to second-team All-Horizon League honors last season.

Izzo said those numbers speak volumes about Morse’s play.

“I didn’t know enough about him before. I fired two assistants today,” Izzo joked. “I mean, it just goes to prove that there’s a lot of good players out there. You just gotta find ones that fit.”

Men’s basketball tipoff: MSU vs. Youngstown State

VETERAN STRUGGLES: Freshmen Nick Ward (24 points), Cassius Winston (15) and Joshua Langford (9) helped the Spartans to a 56-0 edge in bench points during Saturday’s 80-76 win over Oral Roberts.

Izzo has been frustrated with the offensive play of his veterans, including four starters in that game – Eron Harris (12 points), Tum Tum Nairn (4), Matt McQuaid (2) and Kyle Ahrens (0).

McQuaid and Harris are battling different issues, but similar inconsistency. Sophomore McQuaid had double sports hernia surgery in the offseason and missed the entire summer of workouts, which has at times made him tentative to shoot. The 6-4 guard is averaging 6.9 points but shooting just 36.7%.

“The six months he missed this summer,” Izzo said, “you’re not gonna have the same confidence. … He’s playing a little robotic. He’s coming off screens not ready to shoot. And that’s what he is, he’s a shooter.”

Senior Harris is one player Izzo is demanding more from, especially with leading scorer and rebounder Miles Bridges out for the foreseeable future with a left ankle injury. Harris has vanished from some games – including 12 combined points in losses against Arizona, Kentucky and Baylor – and made a big splash in others, with a 31-point effort against Florida Gulf Coast when Bridges was struggling. The 6-3 guard is second to Bridges at 12.8 points a game.

“Very disappointing,” Izzo said. “I say this because when he’s on and when he’s playing well, he’s a guy that can be a scorer that can play both ends of the court. And there aren’t a ton of those around. … I think sometimes, Eron puts a little more pressure on himself. I think when all of a sudden Miles is out, ‘Now I gotta score my points and Miles’.’ He’s not making the right decisions.”

Ward's turn: Ward became the second member of MSU’s vaunted class to earn Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors. The 6-8 forward averaged 17.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.0 blocks and 2.0 assists in a loss at No. 4 Duke (11 points, three rebounds) and a home win over Oral Roberts (career-highs with 24 points, 10 rebounds).

Home again: After spending the first month of the season living out of airplanes and suitcases, the Spartans will enjoy their second of five straight home games Tuesday, the start of a stretch in which they play seven of their next eight at Breslin Center.

Contact Chris Solari:csolari@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter@chrissolari.

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