Lansing State Journal columnist Graham Couch gives his initial thoughts on Michigan State basketball's performance in a win vs Arkansas on Saturday.

EAST LANSING, Mich. — The Saturday men’s basketball game between No. 14 Arkansas and No. 22 Michigan State was, at times, ugly. The Razorbacks did not make a field goal in the final 2:43 and the Spartans did not convert a field goal in the final 6:02. “I’m not sure either team played great,” Michigan State coach Tom Izzo said.

No. 22 Spartans face No. 14 Razorbacks at the Breslin Center with tipoff at 7 p.m. ET on Fox, featuring coaching legends Tom Izzo and John Calipari. Here's how to watch.

In a battle between two legendary head coaches on Saturday, it was Michigan State's Tom Izzo who prevailed over Arkansas' John Calipari,

The Spartans (2-0) grabbed 19 offensive rebounds and converted them into 18 points, a staple of Tom Izzo’s program for 31 seasons.

Michigan State had a narrow 21-10 edge on the boards, which included a 10-5 advantage in offensive rebounds and also forced Arkansas into 10 turnovers. The Spartans had 12 fast break points but also gave up 12 to Arkansas, which probably irritated Izzo immensely.

In its second game of the season, Michigan State plays a ranked opponent at home this Saturday against Arkansas, a demanding game for its new players.