EAST LANSING — Tom Izzo likened Jaren Jackson Jr.’s foul-prone long arms to an octopus and Popeye’s girlfriend, Olive Oyl. Michigan State’s star rookie admitted he needs to avoid using them as much on the defensive end.

As he said it, Jackson’s flailing hands accidentally smacked a phone out of a reporter’s hand.

“Ooh, I’m sorry about that,” he sheepishly apologized Wednesday.

That’s one of the perils that go along with having a tantalizingly talented 6-foot-11 frame with a 7-4 wingspan. But acknowledging the issue and knowing what corrective action he needs to take also are signs Jackson is not a typical freshman.

“Just not to use my hands as much (and) make sure I’m lower and just use more of my hips instead of my arms. It’s just a habit from high school,” Jackson said. “When you can’t really get in a rhythm because you’re coming out of the game so much, sometimes it can (affect offense). But that was just on me. If I’m out because of fouls, then it obviously will affect your touch and your shot.”

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The Spartans wrap up their three-game exhibition slate Friday night at Breslin Center against Division II Hillsdale (7 p.m., BTN-Plus). It will be a chance for Jackson to show the early lessons he has picked up through his first two college games.

“I just want to let him grow a little bit,” MSU coach Tom Izzo said. “He’s like a new puppy. We’re trying to teach him where to pee, you know what I mean? It’s not in the house, it’s outside. He’s a new kid on the block — he’s learning.”

Jackson started Sunday’s exhibition game against Georgia after coming off the bench against Ferris State in the opener. However, the disparate play by the forward between the game against the Division II Bulldogs to the Division I Bulldogs was stark.

Coming off the bench in his debut, Jackson posted 14 points, eight rebounds and eight blocks against Ferris State. He made 5 of 9 shots, all from inside the three-point arc and around the basket.

Against a much taller and more physical Georgia squad, he managed four rebounds and four points from the free-throw line. His only two shots in 16 minutes were missed three-point attempts. Izzo has given Jackson the green-light from deep, but the Hall of Fame coach also feels Jackson “has so much more to his game.”

“He’s gotta let the game come to him,” sophomore forward Miles Bridges said of Jackson. “That was my problem last year, I tried to force things. I tried to shoot too many threes or drive to the basket too much. But he’s just gotta let the game come to him.”

Part of that was because Jackson picked up two early calls against him, got hit with two more early in the second half and then fouled out with a little more than 4 minutes to play.

Izzo started Jackson on Georgia’s Yante Maten (Pontiac), the preseason Southeastern Conference Player of the Year. The 6-8 Maten had a game-best 33 points on 9-for-19 shooting, not all of it against Jackson.

“It was a good test. And we put him on (Maten) first to see how he would do,” Izzo said. “And that’s part of the reason exhibition games are good.”

With Bridges as MSU’s alpha scorer, it lessens the pressure on Jackson to feel the same burden Bridges had as a freshman on a height-challenged team. Sophomore Nick Ward also has shown he is an around-the-rim scoring force, too, which lets the rookie develop at his own pace.

As long as he stays on the court.

“I just gotta remember to affect the game in other ways,” Jackson said.

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Contact Chris Solari: csolari@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @chrissolari.

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