EAST LANSING – Rocket Watts returned to the Michigan State basketball sideline at the time of Saturday’s 88-58 loss to 16th-seeded Iowa.
A spokesman for the team said the moment the shooting director had taken part in “health and protection measures. “Coach Tom Izzo said after the game that Watts “a little sick” with abdominal disorders, but had recorded negative effects for COVID-19 with his quick antigen control on the morning of the game.
Izzo said Watts hoped to undergo a PCR test after leaving downtown Breslin, and effects are expected until Sunday.
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“It’s just a scenario we’re going to handle, ” said Izzo.
Izzo said the team’s medical staff treated Watts the same way he did when Thomas Kithier felt bad when the Spartans game last Saturday opposed Nebraska. Kithier’s PCR control for COVID-19 was negative and no games were lost.
Watts finished the game with 2:07 for playing in the first half after betting 10 minutes and 22 seconds in a row, scored 3 out of 1 of five shots, 1 of 3 the 3-point arc, and added two rebounds and two assists. .
“At half-time they gave him sick, ” said Izzo. ” And then they did the same thing they did with Kithier, they rushed him. And it will go through the whole protocol. “
Izzo sent a healthy Aaron Henry to the bench for just under 8 minutes of the first half.
“It’s just the way it worked, ” said Izzo. ” I don’t think Aaron, the power was there.
Henry arrived at the house and scored six times directly for the Spartans in the last 4:15 before half-time. He threw a tomahawk overturn after driving to the basket in his first offensive possession, then passed his own defeat and made two shots loose.
However, MSU was left behind 46-27 in the intermediate. The Spartans surpassed 17-8 between the time Henry scored at 12:29 p. m. and I came back with 4:31 to play in the middle.
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Izzo said he and his idea Henry might be “a little tired. “
“Let’s make that happen sometimes, ” said Izzo. “And I think at the end of that half, when he came back, and at the beginning of the middle of the moment, there was another point of energy.
Henry completed five of 11 shots for thirteen problems, 11 of them after his extended break and added four rebounds and two assists in 22 minutes against the Hawkeyes. The 6-foot 6-inch swingman had 24 problems in the first game on February 2. an 84-78 win in Iowa.
Spartans shooting battles (22 in 62, 35. 5% of the field) continued with the Hawkeyes.
MSU fired 6 of 21-3 points, with Gabe Brown hitting two and Joey Hauser one as the Spartans reached their last three in the 4:52 final.
It was the fourth time in the last seven Spartans games that shot less than 40% and the sixth time less than 30% of triple attempts in that sequence. That’s 40 out of 145 (27. 6%) in the bow, wasting five of his last seven games.
MSU ranked 12th in the Big Ten on Saturday for targets in the area and 3-point shots in the convention game.
“Everyone collapses a little when you get your ass kicked,” Izzo said.
Contact Chris Solari: csolari@freepress. com. Follow him on Twitter at chrissolari. Learn about Michigan Spartans and sign up for our Spartans newsletter.