BUFFALO, NY – Michigan State basketball’s battle cry of “strength in numbers” a year ago led to a Big Ten title and an Elite Eight run.

That depth has somewhat disappeared for Tom Izzo as he prepares to open his 28th straight NCAA tournament. But beyond the Spartans’ core-four captains and freshman starter, Jordan Scott, the key reserves know what they mean to this team as the games wind down and the intensity amplifies.

“It’s very important,” sophomore guard Kur Teng said Wednesday, March 18. “Kind of our motto here is strength in numbers. So coming off the bench, I want to be able to produce in any way I can.”

The urgency arrives Thursday, when 3-seed MSU (25-7) opens the first round of the East region against 14-seed North Dakota State (27-7). Tipoff at KeyBank Center is 4:05 p.m. (TNT).

While the attention and heavy workload will be on the shoulders of Jeremy Fears Jr., Coen Carr, Jaxon Kohler, Carson Cooper and Scott, the backups behind them with the potential for two win-or-go-home games in three days becomes essential to giving them breaks while also providing production.

“It’s not really about the minutes,” redshirt freshman Jesse McCulloch said Wednesday, March 18. “It’s really about having our role and going out there and playing as hard as we can for the amount of that we got and knowing that we can contribute to the game by playing as hard as possible.”

Teng and freshman forward Cam Ward have been the two most used subs this season for Izzo, particularly as his rotation has shrunk over the past month. But backup point guard Denham Wojcik still gets key, albeit brief, minutes replacing Fears. And both McCulloch and sixth-year senior guard Trey Fort have been called into duty at pivotal moments, be it with foul trouble or inefficiency from the starters.

MORE: How Coen Carr became nation’s top dunker for Michigan State basketball

Izzo said the NCAA Tournament, with longer and more frequent TV timeouts, allows coaches to further shrink their playing groups and give starters more minutes.

“But there’s always foul trouble, and there’s always things like that,” he said Wednesday. “I think your subs are always important. I think it’s hurt us a little bit not having Divine (Ugochukwu), for sure. Last year, our whole battle cry was strength in numbers, and we had numbers and we kept rotating people in there. It’s not been quite the same this year, even though we are utilizing our subs.”

Ugochukwu, who is out after foot surgery from an early-February injury, went through the public practice Wednesday but is not expected to be able to return during the NCAAs. That has left MSU’s guard situation thin at times behind Fears and Scott.

However, the 6-foot-5, 200-pound Teng has come on over his last nine games, averaging 10.2 points and making 43.1% from 3-point range. Teng also has picked up his scrappiness beyond scoring, adding 2.3 rebounds in that span that includes nine offensive boards.

“I think Kur Teng is really playing better,” Izzo said. “And if he’s making shots, that helps us.”

Ward also has gradually shown improvement after a wrist injury suffered in a Thanksgiving Day win over North Carolina hampered the midportion of his first season. The 6-9, 230-pound forward is averaging 4.9 points and 4.2 rebounds in the past nine games while shooting 58.1% from the field. He also has six blocks and four steals while playing at key times.

DETROIT – Gas prices across the U.S. have reached a 2.5-year high, and Michigan drivers are seeing the impact at the pump.

Michigan’s average price rose another 12 cents overnight to $3.87 a gallon, nearly $1 more than a month ago, according to AAA.

On Tuesday, some stations in Metro Detroit are charging $4 or more.

“I just drive around, do little jobs for people — and the gas prices are making me not want to do it anymore because they are crazy,” said Tina, a Metro Detroit driver.

Other drivers echoed the frustration. Charlie Oleson, who washes cars at dealerships, said fuel costs are cutting into his earnings.

“It’s a little bit less money in our pockets,” Oleson said.

Diesel drivers are also seeing steep costs, with prices in some areas surging above $5 a gallon. Sean Moore, a truck driver, said filling a large tank can run hundreds of dollars.

“This one has a 90-gallon tank. It cost over $300 to fill it up,” Moore said.

So far, gas prices are still far below Michigan’s record high. In 2022, the statewide average hit $5.22 a gallon, according to AAA.

How drivers can save:

GasBuddy says small choices can help reduce costs:

• Shop around for lower prices.

• Fill up on Sundays, which are often cheaper than midweek.

• Pay with cash when possible to save 5 to 10 cents per gallon.

• Drive more efficiently by easing off the accelerator, using cruise control and leaving a few minutes early.

“Fuel efficiency is really dictated by your foot on your accelerator,” GasBuddy petroleum analyst Patrick De Haan said.

As for when prices will ease, De Haan said it’s not clear.

“There’s really no telling how high we will go. As long as this situation continues, we will continue to see prices advancing,” he said.

GasBuddy also notes supply is shifting from the winter blend to the summer blend as demand rises with spring break travel. Prices could climb through Memorial Day, though how high they go remains uncertain.

AAA also offers a “Gas Cost Calculator” to help budget for trips.

Lansing — A group of Michigan Democrats has asked the Republican chairman of the state House Oversight Committee to investigate the relationship between sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and the Interlochen Center for the Arts.

In a letter to Oversight Chairman Jay DeBoyer, R-Clay Township, seven Democratic members of his committee cited a trove of documents recently released by the U.S. Department of Justice and allegations that Epstein and his associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, used the northern Michigan arts school to “prey on girls.”

“It is our collective duty to ensure the safety of all children who have attended or will attend Interlochen by investigating these allegations to ascertain whether children attending this esteemed academy were exposed to Jeffrey Epstein, the extent of Interlochen’s awareness and response and how it intends to protect children from sexual predators,” the Democrats’ letter said.

Maureen Oleson, director of communications for the Interlochen Center for the Arts, said the nonprofit organization “has fully cooperated with all requests” related to federal investigations.

“We take these matters very seriously,” Oleson said. “We would respond to any additional inquiries from elected officials or oversight bodies as appropriate and remain committed to transparency.”

The center previously released a statement, saying it had conducted an internal review and found “no record of complaint or concern about Epstein.”

“We are appalled at what we have learned about the scope of conduct by Epstein and his co-conspirators, and we expect that a more comprehensive understanding of the full scope will continue to evolve,” the center’s past statement said.

The center, which is located on 1,200 acres in Grand Traverse County, is home to summer arts camps and what it describes as the “nation’s premier arts boarding high school.” The center’s website says it’s “the global destination for artists and arts enthusiasts of all ages.”

Documents related to Epstein and released by the federal government last year included a lawsuit that claimed he met his first known victim at Interlochen in the 1990s.

Epstein attended Interlochen in the summer of 1967 and was a donor to the organization from 1990 to 2003. His giving included the donation of a cabin on the campus that was referred to as the “Jeffrey E. Epstein Scholarship Lodge,” the House Democrats said in their new letter.

“Documents and survivor accounts appear to show that Epstein utilized the lodge on numerous trips to Interlochen over the 1990s,” the letter said.

In 2019, Epstein died in jail in New York after being charged with sex trafficking.

The Democrats’ letter said the House Oversight Committee should “utilize all necessary powers and processes to examine and investigate the Interlochen Center for the Arts and its relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.”

During a Tuesday House Oversight Committee meeting, DeBoyer acknowledged he had received a letter from Rep. Penelope Tsernoglou, D-East Lansing, and others regarding an investigation request. DeBoyer said there would be a discussion in the coming days about how to move forward.

Later Tuesday, House Speaker Matt Hall, R-Richland Township, said he wasn’t aware of the request and would have to look at it.

Asked by a reporter whether it would be concerning for a pedophile to have a relationship with a school, Hall replied, “I am not familiar with what the subject is. So I’d have to look at it.”

cmauger@detroitnews.com

Staff Writer Sarah Atwood contributed.