Michigan State men's basketball coach Tom Izzo is fully aware of his squad's shooting capabilities, and it is for that reason that he has focused his latest offensive strategy around his team's young shooting talents.

"This is the best shooting team we have had at Michigan State in a very long time," Izzo said.

The Big Ten's most accurate shooting team, the Spartans proved their deadly shooting skills early in Saturday's thrashing of Penn State.

Following the game's opening tip, Michigan State guard Chris Hill sunk back-to-back three-point shots following a 13-foot jumper by Spartan junior Kelvin Torbert. The Spartans certainly lived up to their reputation as being an outside-shooting powerhouse as they started the game off shooting 8-for-10 from the field.

Within seven minutes of the first half, the Nittany Lions found themselves down 20-5. The 15-point deficit proved to be too much for the Lions to overcome.

The Lions never once had a lead throughout the game and never came within more than 11 points of the Spartans throughout the second half.

The Spartans game plan was simple -- manipulate the offensive perimeter and wait for the open shot. Patience and a will to shoot the three-pointer was the key to the Spartans' success. That was seen through the constant and precise perimeter passing that was displayed by the Spartans.

The six-man rotation used by the Lions wasn't enough to stop the outside shooting of the Spartans. Penn State guards Ben Luber and Marlon Smith, both of whom played more than 35 minutes in Saturday's game, were showing signs of exhaustion midway through the first half. The more tired and worn-out Smith and Luber became, the more opportunities the Spartans had for wide-open jump shots.

The 2-3 zone run by the Lions makes it hard to defend the wings and to get a hand in the face of opposing teams' outside shooters.

The Spartans had no problem setting up their point and shooting guard on the perimeter to exploit the Lions defense.

Spartan guard Kelvin Torbert personally hurt the Lions shooting 6-for-7 from the field and 3-for-3 from three-point land. With his picture-perfect release, Torbert's shooting skills have been very apparent as of late, and he is just one of many of Izzo's precise shooters.

"Torbert has found the range now," Penn State men's basketball coach Ed DeChellis said.