3 changes Tom Izzo should make after Michigan State basketball's 2-1 start

It was a similar story for Tom Izzo and Michigan State basketball on Tuesday night in the Champions Classic against No. 1 Kansas. A game against an excellent program where the Spartans play good defense and manage to hang around and tie the game at various points, however a lack of hitting important shots and turning the ball over bites them in the end.

Its a story as old as time (seemingly), but this time felt a bit different, at least for me. I don't think I'm alone when I say this, but to me, this was mostly attributed to a poor shooting night. It wasn't one or two guys trying to do too much, it wasn't that they were heaving up poor shots with defenders draping all over them, the shots just weren't falling.

Since the Cassius Winston era, these games have become more frequent with this ending. But like I said, this one felt a little different. Now, for Izzo, it's time to evaluate and take action on what could've been different to get the outcome all of us Spartan fans were dreaming of.

There are three things that stick out to me throughout these games so far to begin the year, things that I believe should be done to keep this team competitive and get the most out of the lineups to this point. Let's dive in.

1. Let Xavier Booker come off the bench

I know this is not what people want to see, but it just has to happen. Xavier Booker is just not ready yet. People have become impatient with Booker, and I completely understand it. A five-star stretch-four and he's not even really hitting his shots either. While I am still not all that worried about Booker becoming an important piece of this team and a star in the future, I do not think it's necessary to make him start at this point.

It's clear there are other big men who are just ahead of him in terms of the impact they can make right now. Jaxon Kohler seemingly has taken the jump many have been talking about over the offseason. While he did outpace Booker in minutes on Tuesday anyways, I don't think it should take Booker playing poorly first in order to get Jaxon Kohler in the game.

At this point, Kohler is the better player, with the more refined and traditional big-man skillset. He leads this team in points per game and is only averaging 19 minutes per game at this point. Start Kohler, let Booker be the first big off the bench, and allow him to get comfortable before thinking about starting him again.