| | Mateen Cleaves isn't feeling any pressure to get back on the court after Michigan State's wins over North Carolina and Kansas the past week.
"It's making it easier," Cleaves said of his recovery from a stress fracture. "I don't have to come back and score 30 points and have 15 assists. I just have to come back and play solid. They're making it easier with these great wins. I'll just come back and see where I fit in."
|  | | Adding Mateen Cleaves will only make Tom Izzo's squad better. |
Cleaves said he's targeting a return of Jan. 1, getting him ready for the Spartans' Big Ten opener against Penn State on Jan. 5. Cleaves is still using crutches, but only when he needs to walk long distances or stay on his feet. He's out of a cast and is testing his foot during workouts in the pool and on a stationary bike.
But his patience is at ease with of the play of his replacements at point guard, Charlie Bell and David Thomas. Cleaves had reason to be anxious when the Spartans lost to Texas in the final of the Puerto Rico Shootout on Thanksgiving weekend. Since then, Michigan State has been one of the hottest teams in the top 10.
"These guys are making this fun, well, because we're winning," said Cleaves, who was a preseason all-American first-team candidate after leading the Spartans to the Final Four as a junior. "As soon as you think you could have made a difference, everything goes right and it makes it easier to swallow. It seems like this has gone really fast. Before you know it, I'll be out there playing again."
Cleaves will be courtside Saturday in Tucson when the Spartans take on their third top 10 team in the past five games. Arizona is coming off its first loss of the season, a 78-69 setback to Connecticut at the Great Eight on Wednesday.
The Wildcats, who practiced without forward Michael Wright (hyperextended right knee) and guard Gilbert Arenas (strained hip flexor) Thursday, are riding a 35-game non-conference home-court winning streak (Murray State is No. 1 at 45, Duke second at 39, Utah third at 37). Wright and Arenas practiced Friday and are expected to play.
"I hope the loss helps us," said Arenas. "We needed this loss to come closer as a team. We know what will happen now if we don't play hard."
If Wright is limited, Michigan State can zone in on Arizona center Loren Woods. The Spartans didn't have problems bullying Kansas' frontcourt, dominating the boards 47-35. North Carolina couldn't handle Michigan State's physical play, either. Texas' Chris Mihm has been the only center who has been able to hold his own against the Spartans.
"We haven't played slouches," said Cleaves, who has been a pseudo coach during his rehabilitation, down to the point of sitting in on the coaches' meetings. "This will be a big challenge because they have one of the best frontcourts in the nation."
But the bigger chore will be preventing Arizona guards Jason Gardner and Arenas, from getting into the lane. Bell and Thomas have prepped for it by containing Ed Cota's penetration in the win over North Carolina. Cleaves already has his scouting report down on Thomas and Bell after watching a bit of Arizona in Chicago and on tape.
"The main thing is stay in front of them," Cleaves said. "We can't give them anything. We've got to make them work for everything. Gardner is a good player but he's young. We can throw some (defensive) stuff at him that he hasn't seen."
Michigan State has a free ride in this matchup. The Spartans have already made the most out of their brutal non-conference schedule. Arizona has to hold serve after losing to Connecticut. Arizona coach Lute Olson rarely loses back-to-back.
"We've got to prove to the whole basketball world now," said Woods, downplaying the wins over Kentucky and Texas. "We still haven't beaten teams that are up there like Connecticut and Michigan State."
Andy Katz is a senior writer at ESPN.com.
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