Michigan State basketball starts Rocket Watts over Foster Loyer at Duke

Tom Izzo is making a change to his lineup.

Sophomore Rocket Watts will start at point guard Tuesday night as No. 8 Michigan State basketball visits No. 12 Duke for a 7:30 p.m. tipoff in the Champions Classic at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

Izzo on his pregame radio show said Spartans junior Foster Loyer, who started the first two games and scored 20 points in MSU's opener against Eastern Michigan, will come off the bench.

"It's nothing against what Foster has done. I don't think it's gonna change their minutes at all. We just would rather have a little more stronger presence defensively. Plus Foster is very stable, and he gives me something that I know is coming off the bench in what he can do."

Watts, who has been battling a knee injury, scored 13 points on 5 of 11 shooting in 20-plus minutes before tweaking an ankle late in Saturday in a 80-70 win over Notre Dame. Loyer scored three points with three assists in 16:44 against the Irish.

Izzo said the other starters will remain the same: senior Joshua Langford at shooting guard, junior Aaron Henry on the wing, and juniors Joey Hauser and Thomas Kithier at the two forward spots.

The Spartans (2-0) and Blue Devils (1-0) were scheduled to play Nov. 10 in Chicago to open the college basketball season, which was delayed until Nov. 25. Wednesday's game will be broadcast by ESPN.

Contact Chris Solari: csolari@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @chrissolari. Read more on the Michigan State Spartans and sign up for our Spartans newsletter.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan State basketball starts Rocket Watts over Foster Loyer at Duke