Ninth-ranked Michigan State is looking for improvement when it faces long-distance heaving Cornell on Monday night at East Lansing, Mich. The Spartans (11-1) have a stellar record, but coach Tom Izzo would like to see an upgrade to his team’s caliber of play. “We’ve just got to play better,” Izzo said. “These last five games, we have some guys who didn’t play as well.” The Spartans went 4-1 in those games, a span that includes a 66-60 home loss to Duke. But the most recent outing, a 79-70 win over Oakland on a neutral floor in Detroit, wasn’t all that grand in Izzo’s eyes. The contest against Cornell precedes the resumption of Big Ten play on Friday at Nebraska. The Spartans previously recorded conference wins over Iowa and Penn State. Izzo told reporters that Cornell (6-5) presents big challenges. He sees the Big Red’s propensity for shooting 3-pointers — and making 41.6% — as a troubling component. “You’re going to be surprised when you see this team,” Izzo said. “They shoot 34 3s per game. … That poseRead More