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Michigan State's NCAA run hinges on Tom Izzo fitting pieces together

Tom Izzo previews Michigan State's NCAA tournament opener vs. Bucknell. Chris Solari/Detroit Free Press

Nick Ward could have been an All-American in the 1990s. But in 2018, the Michigan State forward is a dinosaur to the advanced statistics crowd.

The 6-foot-8 throwback may have nimble feet, soft hands and an uncanny talent for scoring around the basket, but he doesn’t have a jumper and can't defend ball-screens in space. Nor is he much of a rim protector.

Which means, in this era of college basketball, Ward is without a position.