EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) -- No. 6 Michigan State expects forward Nick Ward to play in the Big Ten Tournament.
Coach Tom Izzo says he isn't sure how much the 6-foot-9 junior will be able to play nearly a month after having surgery on his left hand. The top-seeded Spartans will face the winner of the Ohio State-Indiana game Friday in the conference quarterfinals.
Ward is Michigan State's second-leading scorer at 15.1 points a game and third-leading rebounder at 6.7 per game.
The Spartans (25-6, 16-4 Big Ten) won a second straight conference championship with Ward out for the last five games and third-leading scorer Joshua Langford missing the last 18 games with an injured left foot that needed season-ending surgery.
