Michigan State coach Tom Izzo smiles during a news conference Saturday in Indianapolis on the eve of today’s Midwest Regional final against Louisville.

Indianapolis ? Michigan State starting forward Raymar Morgan will be wearing a mask during today’s Midwest Regional final against Louisville.

The 6-foot-8, 225-pound junior broke his nose after taking an elbow from teammate Delvon Roe early in the second half of Friday’s 67-62 victory over Kansas University at Lucas Oil Stadium.

“A lot of people play with a broken nose, so it should be good. I’m a little worried, but I have to play with it,” Morgan said Saturday.

Coach Tom Izzo — who desperately wants to lead his team into the Final Four to be played in Detroit — is concerned about Morgan, who was fitted for a mask Saturday.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen. It’s broke, and it’s broke pretty good. It wasn’t just a hairline,” Izzo said.

“I don’t know how he’ll adjust to that. I don’t think anybody does. To have to adjust to it in one day is kind of an issue. It might affect his shooting. I don’t know. It shouldn’t affect his defense, his rebounding, his ability to guard people.

“He’s a very good passer, and he’s smart enough to know how to get into seams against their pressure and against their zone.”

The Spartans realize there will be many more Louisville fans in the stands today with the Cardinals’ campus just a 90-minute drive away.

Yet if MSU wins, it’s on to Detroit, where the Spartans will see so much green in the Ford Field stands.

It’d also be a big morale boost for the state of Michigan, hit hard by the country’s economic times.

“For the most part, I never really addressed the team about it. I told them that I tried to explain to them the chance of getting to a Final Four is slim to none, and that’s on the good side,” Izzo said of his not using the city of Detroit as a rallying cry all year.

“You know, the way it worked out, I knew if we ever got to this day, two nights before, a night before our opportunity to get there, there would be plenty of time to talk about it. Well, I found out there’s not a lot of time to talk about it because there’s other work to do. But I would have been foolish not to explain to my guys that of all the Final Fours, of all the great players that have played in this championship, there are very few (who played at home).

“Last year, Texas would have had the opportunity if they would have beat Memphis. Just didn’t work out. Very seldom does it happen. So that even puts more significance on it because I recruit a little bit more locally, within a three-, four-hour radius for most of my players. I always preach that families being there and community and your fan base and all that is a big part of winning. You get to celebrate it with people that you really care about.

“So that made it all the more significant. That’s what I reminded them last night. I said, ‘This thing will be earned, not given.’ I had great respect for Louisville. After seeing them last night, I have even more respect for how they play. I think our players did, too.”

Louisville, the No. 1 seed in the region (MSU is No. 2) clobbered Arizona, 103-64, on Friday night.

“If we look ahead (to Detroit), we might get beat by 30,” said guard Travis Walton, who had two points and five assists versus KU. “It’s going to be our toughest task of the season, playing against a great basketball team. From one second you look past them, that could be a 10-point deficit.

“You’ve got to give every thought, every dream, got to go to beating Louisville, not getting to the Final Four right now, because you’ve got to go through them before you can get to the Final Four. And they (have) the same thoughts and dreams as we have. So our focus has to be on Louisville, what we can do to contain them and win this game.”

Izzo did his part to quiet another distraction when he told the media he’s not interested in the Kentucky vacancy.

“When Final Fours come up, Sweet 16 and Elite Eight, Michigan State’s name is always in there. That’s my ultimate goal right now. I still got a lot of work to do to accomplish that,” Izzo said. “We’ve put a heck of a dent in it. But when you look at Kansas, Kentucky, Carolina, Duke in general, we’re not at that level yet, and that’s the level I’d like to get to. So I still got a lot of work to do. The people at Michigan State have been great to me. I’m going to continue to work for them.”