Draymond Green has scored 20 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in three of Michigan State’s past four games, solidifying his status a leading Big Ten Player of the Year candidate while garnering a few straw poll votes in the race for national honors. Green admits all of the increased attention was wearing on him.

"It wasn't necessarily that it was bothering my play. It was starting to bother me as a person," said Green, who who has averaged more than 19 points per game since scoring just five in a Jan. 31 loss at Illinois. "I wasn't me. I wasn't the fun guy to be around, just all excited. It was kind of weighing down on me because you're worried about so many things."

Green spoke with coach Tom Izzo earlier this week about how to handle the season's final stretch.

"Coach told me you just have to keep doing what you're doing," Green said. "That kind of relieved me. Because when you start to let all those things get to you, it can take the fun from it.

"I'm not going to lie and say it doesn't matter to me. It'd be an honor to win Big Ten Player of the Year. But, that's not my focus. My focus is to come out there and win games and win an outright Big Ten championship."