Is Michigan State's Lack of Elite Talent a Problem Tom Izzo Will Solve?

Considering the circumstances, Michigan State held its own Tuesday night versus Duke.

However, as usual, coach Mike Krzyzewski's Blue Devils—who are 9-1 in the series—came out on top, taking down Tom Izzo's Spartans 81-71 at the Champions Classic in Indianapolis.

Izzo never led in that game, his fourth consecutive loss to Coach K, but he managed a barely healthy enough roster that somehow hung around with one of college basketball's great recruiting classes, which ranks No. 1 overall, per 247Sports, and is considered one of Krzyzewski's finer hauls.

And as usual, there is plenty that the Spartans can take away from their annual early clash with a hoops giant. Izzo is a future Hall of Famer who often makes the most with less.

Despite being outmanned versus Duke, he'll likely find a way to benefit from the collision come March. 

Starts Inside

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Formerly an apple of Izzo's eye, freshman Jahlil Okafor continued to demonstrate why many analysts, writers and pundits feel that he's among the best in the game today. Nearly dominant and extremely effective, the 6'11", 270-pound center scored 17 points on 8-of-10 shooting while freely roaming the paint. 

He's missed just five of 30 shot attempts through three contests for the unbeaten Blue Devils. That said, he exposed a tender area of the Spartans defense, one that has lacked strength since the departure of Derrick Nix in 2013.

Izzo's patented war drills are in order. 

Matt Costello, a 6'9", 240-pound junior, has what it takes; he's just inconsistent. He got into foul trouble versus Navy, resulting in six points and seven boards during the 64-59 victory—which was certainly too close for Izzo's liking. Against Duke, he offered little in the way of answers and barely dented the stat sheet with six points and four rebounds in 22 minutes.

Those types of outings won't lead Michigan State. Costello must be one of the leading rebounders, improve defensively, stay out foul trouble and work himself into better shots, which would be a reversal from the past two seasons.

Izzo needs the state's former Mr. Basketball to take charge up front.

Player	Points	Rebounds	Other	Blocks
Matt Costello	6	4	1 steal	0
Gavin Schilling	2	3	1 assist	0

The same can be said for Gavin Schilling, who is less physical than Costello but has more offensive potential. At 6'9" and 245 pounds, the sophomore is still learning how to throw around his weight while defending and attacking the rim.

Izzo needs more than two points and three rebounds in 19 minutes. The Spartans frontcourt won't survive if that's all Schilling can give against elite opposition, and it won't make it through if Costello can't at least consistently put a body on the other team's top center/forward. 

Neither Costello nor Schilling appeared remotely close to Okafor or forward Amile Jefferson in speed or aggressiveness. Soft and sluggish won't get the job done inside. 

Sure, it was just one game versus arguably the top big (and a little help) in the nation, but that's how it's supposed to be—that's why Izzo puts his team in the way of the Dukes and Okafors of the world, to test it.

There's something to the saying, "You can't beat the best unless you play the best." The Spartans got a taste of what could easily be a tournament opponent in March—Izzo's faced Coach K thrice in the Big Dance and lost twice.

Revenge, not only for this year but years past, could be the motivator if they cross paths in March.

Working Outside

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Finishing with 27 shots made compared to Michigan State's 30, Duke's offense was aided by marksmen sinking seven of 14 shots from long range. In fact, the Blue Devils are always great from the field, so it's no surprise that knocking down jumpers helped tilt Michigan State.

That said, shoring up perimeter defense is an obvious concern for the Spartans. Their feeble 5-of-20 from three-point range Tuesday night should also emphasize the need for improvement on the offensive end. 

Michigan State isn't loaded. Having a senior point guard helps. Thus far, Travis Trice appears to be a faster, stronger and more confident version of the former. He's always been a hustle player, but he seems to have added a much better scoring touch. He won't be Gary Harris on the drive and dunk, but Trice is showing that he'll be more involved in the offense.  

Trice shot 43.4 percent from behind the arc last season; he's hitting 54.5 percent this year, an obviously skewed average. But he has the right idea.

Don't overlook his ability to accentuate the talents of those around him. His intelligence on the court creates opportunities for playmakers, evidenced by a signature alley-oop to Branden Dawson on Tuesday night.

But Dawson has been dunking, he needs to find the jumper that's dodged him for four years. That's been the knock on his game since he arrived in 2010. He has the pure strength to be an elite scorer. He's Izzo's closest thing to an elite scorer, so he'll be thrust into that role, like it or not. 

Javon Bess didn't play and is out indefinitely (maybe mid-December) with a foot injury. The 6'5", 205-pound wing made developmental leaps in the preseason. 

The same was true for Alvin Ellis. However, an ankle injury has slowed the 6'4", 205-pound winger's progress. His status is essentially day-to-day.

Bryn Forbes sported a brace on his left (non-shooting) hand as well. The junior Cleveland State transfer was one of the Horizon League's top scorers (No. 5 overall) and is expected to immediately pad the stats. 

Perimeter defense and scoring should spike once they're active. Forbes can add the same type of dimension from the perimeter that downed his team Tuesday night. Again, and this can't be stressed enough: Consistent—not necessarily lights-out—shooting from long range is key to sustaining tournament runs. 

Just ask Duke. 

Putting it Together

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Fighting injuries is a common theme for most of the season for most coaches in America. Izzo is no different.

He's lost stars during March, so adapting without role players in November is a walk in the park. In essence, he still found out what his team was capable of versus Duke, and that's losing to a national title favorite by 10...with a team lacking several pieces. 

That's not to discredit Coach K's guys in any shape, form or fashion. They outplayed an older, more experienced team, and thanks to their freshman trio, they looked good doing it. Okafor, Tyus Jones and Justise Winslow combined for 49 points—including 14-of-18 from the free-throw line—11 rebounds, four steals and three blocks. 

Once fully healthy, acclimated and assembled up front, Izzo's team should look a lot more like the first-half Spartans from Tuesday night and far less like the ones who were blitzed late in the second half by a bunch of young Devils. 

Follow Bleacher Report's Michigan State basketball writer Adam Biggers on Twitter @AdamBiggers81