Joey Hauser was back to practice Wednesday for Michigan State basketball.
Coach Tom Izzo said the junior forward participated in "two-thirds" of the 11th-ranked Spartans' workout as they prepare to face No. 9 Wisconsin on Friday at Breslin Center.
Izzo said his leading scorer and rebounder sprained his left knee late in the first half of MSU's 79-65 loss Sunday at Northwestern.
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"He's been a little slow," Izzo said of Hauser, who scored just five points against the Wildcats. "He practiced (Wednesday), but he didn't practice (Tuesday). Most of it I hope was precautionary. I mean, there's nothing. it's been MRIed and IMIed and X-rayed and everything else like they do now. But there's nothing there."
Hauser is averaging 12.1 points and 8.9 rebounds for the Spartans (6-1, 0-1 Big Ten). It will be the Stevens Point, Wisconsin, native's first chance to play against his home-state Badgers (7-1, 1-0) as a Spartan. As a freshman, Hauser scored 15 points in 33 minutes on 5-for-8 shooting in Marquette's 74-69 win over the Badgers on Dec. 8, 2018. Wisconsin won at home against Nebraska on Tuesday, 67-53, in both teams' conference opener.
Hauser appeared to bang knees with Northwestern's Ryan Greer while setting a screen with 2:39 to play in the first half. He did not start the second half but came off the bench wearing a black sleeve on his left leg. It went well with the white one covering the right knee he bruised in a Dec. 4 home win over Detroit.
"It was a sprain, but sprains are different for every guy," Izzo said. "And I'm hoping he'll be fine to go by Friday. He did go through two-thirds of practice (Wednesday), and then we just pulled him for that reason. We'll see now how it reacts after doing a little activity and see how it reacts in the morning."
Izzo was asked what his favorite Christmas gift ever was, and the 65-year-old didn't hesitate to reflect back on his days in the Upper Peninsula town of Iron Mountain.
And Detroit Lions fans won't be happy. But Badgers fans who are Cheeseheads might.
Izzo immediately recalled his Green Bay Packers' Willie Wood uniform "by far, bar none" as the best gift he got as a kid. Iron Mountain is less than two hours from Green Bay, and Wood, a Hall of Fame safety, was his favorite player.
"I got the whole thing," he said. "I went out in the grass and played football on the side and had my helmet, had my jersey, had my pants. Dragged my pants in the grass so I could have grass stains like the Packers did. Then when it started snowing, I felt like I was in 'the Frozen Tundra.' "
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