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EAST LANSING - Early this week, Tom Izzo said Michigan State's current three-game stretch may be the toughest any of his teams have faced during the regular season.
And that was before star Kalin Lucas went down with an ankle sprain during MSU's first Big Ten loss on Tuesday at Wisconsin.
Izzo called Lucas "very, very questionable" for the second game of that gauntlet tonight at Illinois, which most likely will give Korie Lucious his third start of the season at point guard.
"I try not to think about it too much," Lucious said. "I'm excited for the opportunity. But at the same time, I'm still playing basketball so I'm not gonna get myself too nervous and worry about it. ... I'm just gonna go in with a lot of confidence."
Tonight, however, he will must help fill a big void - Lucas, whose X-rays showed no break in the right ankle or foot, leads the team with 15.6 points and nearly four assists per game.
Izzo said he wouldn't know Lucas' availability until this afternoon.
"When Kalin went down, the first thing that went through my mind was, alright, it's time for me to step up and show the team what I can do," Lucious said. "Just step into that role that Kalin has (had) for us this whole year."
The sophomore is averaging 5.2 points and 3.78 assists over 21 minutes per game this season. Lucious is playing about twice as many minutes as he did last year, and his 2.4 assist-to-turnover ratio is twice as good as it was as a freshman.
Lucious underwent surgery twice in the offseason after breaking a bone in his foot during last season's NCAA title game. He says he is finally 100 percent after missing summer workouts.
Improved decision-making is something Lucious has discussed with Izzo at length, and it becomes even more critical tonight with Lucious running the offense in front of a loud, hostile crowd in Champaign, Ill.
"It's a challenge that I'm going to have to take on, and I'm ready for it," Lucious said. "I have a lot of confidence in myself, as well as my teammates and coaches."
Junior Chris Allen, who played the point in high school, figures to share Lucas' ball-handling duties with Lucious.
However, Allen said his prep offense featured ball screen after ball screen, so he has sought advice from student assistant Travis Walton, last year's starter.
"It's gonna be hard," Allen said. "I just gotta be in the film room. It's gonna be more mental than physical."
Lucious, though, got aide and guidance from Lucas - who Friday was named a finalist for the Cousy Award that goes to the nation's top point guard.
"(Lucas) just told me to play with confidence - really, like he's been doing all year," Lucious said.
