Joe Rexrode

Detroit Free Press

EAST LANSING – Michigan State redshirt freshman forward Kenny Goins is expected to return this season after injuring his left knee in Sunday’s win over Indiana, Tom Izzo said Monday.

"Found out this morning he’s got a damaged MCL and a little bit of meniscus,” Izzo said of Goins on “The Drive with Jack Ebling” on 92.1 FM in Lansing, “but the way they talk it could be two to three weeks, could be three to four weeks.”

Izzo said MSU should have a better idea of the timetable after “five or six days.” If Goins is out three weeks, he would be available in time for the start of the Big Ten tournament, March 9-13 in Indianapolis.

Goins, a former walk-on who is on scholarship this season and has become a key reserve at power forward, took a hit to the knee from teammate Matt McQuaid after McQuaid tried to take a charge.

Goins clutched his left knee, was helped to the locker room with 10:36 left in the first half and did not return. He had an MRI on Sunday night.

It appeared he might be facing a season-ending ligament tear. From that perspective, Izzo said: “I guess it is good news in that way. But you start talking three weeks plus, it’s not season ending, but then you’ve got the same old problem.”

That is, trying to weave in a player after an extended absence. No. 8 MSU (21-5, 8-5 Big Ten), which hosts Wisconsin (16-9, 8-4) on Thursday, had to do so with Marvin Clark, Gavin Schilling and Denzel Valentine earlier in the season.

The Spartans are doing it now with point guard Lourawls "Tum Tum" Nairn, who played briefly Sunday and will be in the mix for some action moving forward after missing seven games with plantar fasciitis in his right foot.

Contact Joe Rexrode: jrexrode@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @joerexrode. Check out his MSU blog at freep.com/heyjoe.

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