EAST LANSING - Michigan State is coming off back-to-back narrow wins over Minnesota and Purdue in the first two games of the Big Ten season. And now the No. 6 ranked Spartans are preparing for their first road game in conference play and Michigan State coach Tom Izzoand his staff are working hard with their team to correct some of the mistakes and sloppiness they have seen from their ballclub heading into Saturday's Big Ten game at Iowa.

The Hawkeyes are 0-3 in conference play after facing three of the league's toughest teams in Indiana, Wisconsin, and Ohio State. Michigan State, the Big Ten's top-ranked team, expects to face an Iowa team that looks more like the team that came within a couple of points of upsetting the Hoosiers than the team that was clobbered on the road by the Buckeyes.

"If you watched them against Indiana they were up four points in the second half and came within two points at the end," said Izzo. "And then if you watched them against Wisconsin, it was a fairly close game all of the way and they played very well in that game. And then if you watched them against Ohio State it was like watching us against Purdue. They did look bad against Ohio State, but we looked like a Division II team against Purdue.

"I don't put a lot into just one game. If there are four teams that would be ranked one, two, three, and four, in the Big Ten it would be Indiana, us, Wisconsin, and Ohio State. They have played all four of them in a row, so it is a little bit deceiving in that respect too."

Turnovers and leaky perimeter defense are areas that concern Izzo most heading into Saturday's game.



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