Up until now, I have picked every possible opponent for North Carolina to play other than Michigan State. At the beginning I picked Louisville. After the first weekend I stuck with Louisville. After the second weekend I switched and picked Connecticut. Well I have no choice but to talk about the Spartans now. Congrats to both teams for making it this far.
Michigan State played exceptionally well in the transition game against Connecticut. Their up and down style in that game was what put them on top. They also played very good defense in the game. Their on ball defense gave Connecticut’s guards fits. I felt that if Connecticut went to the post more often they could have played better. Oh, not to mention missing a lot of free throws hurts, especially when many of them were the front ends of 1 and 1′s. North Carolina steam rolled past Villanova right from the tip. UNC hasn’t won by less than 12 which includes a game against a very good Oklahoma team. Michigan State is peaking at the right time, not to mention they have home court advantage. However these two teams matched up in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge already this year in Detroit, at Ford Field. North Carolina ripped the Spartans apart in that game beating them by 35. But this is a different Michigan State team now. Will the Spartans be better their second time around and upend the Tarheels?
I don’t think they have enough.
The Breakdown:
Point Guard
Ty Lawson vs. Kalin Lucas
Kalin Lucas was the Big Ten player of the year. Ty Lawson was the ACC player of the year. Both are elite point guards but with the way Lawson is playing right now it’s hard to pick against him.
Pick: Lawson
Shooting Guard
Wayne Ellington vs Travis Walton
Wayne Ellington has done nothing but light it up at Ford Field this year. Travis Walton is a lockdown defender and Big Ten defensive player of the year. This one is hard to pick.
Pick: Push
Small Forward
Danny Green vs Delvin Roe
Danny Green is another sharp shooting wing player. Delvin Roe is a low post wing. Danny Green is a senior, Delvin Roe is a freshman. The way I feel the game is going to be played at, you have to take Green.
Pick: Green
Power Forward
Tyler Hansbrough vs Raymar Morgan
Raymar Morgan is a phenomenal player, but he is going up against one of the all-time greats.
Pick: Hansbrough
Center
Deon Thompson vs Goran Suton
Suton didn’t play when these teams played earlier in the year. He also got in foul trouble against Connecticut’s big men. He needs to come up big if the Spartans want to cut down the nets.
Pick: Push
Intangibles
Both teams have deep benches, but North Carolina brings two big men off the bench that could start for 95% of NCAA teams. Their bench didn’t put up a lot of points vs. Villanova but they didn’t need to. Michigan State had some big contributions from Durrell Summers, Korie Lucious, and “The Dancing Bear” Draymond Green. Both have Hall of Fame coaches. Michigan State’s half court sets are second to none, but North Carolina is going to push the ball. Michigan State must be careful with the tempo they play at.
Pick: Push
Like I said before, I have been wrong on whom I picked to reach the final game against UNC, but the one constant I have picked is North Carolina. They look unstoppable right now and have already destroyed the Spartans once this year, on the same exact court. Michigan State is playing with a high level of passion. That passion will show in the first half, but North Carolina is just too much for the Spartans and UNC cuts down the nets. Tyler Hansbrough ends his collegiate career with a National Championship. Oh and Luca, the line is UNC -8. Text me if you wish…
Pick: North Carolina
Damn, UNC is so stacked that you didn’t even mention Tyler Zeller, the 7 foot frosh who just came back. MSU and the Izzone are gonna win though, that early blow out was fluke.
Oh wait I see it, you just didn’t drop his name.
summers has a phenomenal game against UCONN, and you did forget to mention the x factor for UNc and that is the freshman Ed Davis.