Michigan State Basketball: 5 reasons the Spartans will beat Notre Dame

PORTLAND, OR - NOVEMBER 26: Andrew Platek #3 of the North Carolina Tar Heels and Cassius Winston #5 of the Michigan State Spartans go after a loose ball in the second half of the game during the PK80-Phil Knight Invitational presented by State Farm at the Moda Center on November 26, 2017 in Portland, Oregon. Michigan State won the game 63-45. (Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images) /

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PORTLAND, OR – NOVEMBER 26: Michigan State Spartans forward Miles Bridges #22 blocks the shot of North Carolina Tar Heels guard Joel Berry II #2 in the first half of the game during the PK80-Phil Knight Invitational presented by State Farm at the Moda Center on November 26, 2017 in Portland, Oregon. (Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images) /

4. Michigan State’s length, depth too much for Notre Dame

This one is along the same lines of the rebounding advantage, but the length of the two teams, in comparison, looks like a mismatch. Michigan State is deep in the post and has length even at the wing positions with Miles Bridges and Josh Langford could even cause some problems at 6-foot-5.

Notre Dame has just two players who stand taller than 6-foot-10. A majority of the team is in the 6-foot-5 to 6-foot-8 range and that favors Michigan State because guys like Jaren Jackson Jr., Nick Ward and the rest of the post players on the bench can feast on that plethora of wing-sized players down low.

I will say that Notre Dame does have plenty of wing depth, but it doesn’t exactly show as only six players average more than 12 minutes per game. Eight players average more than six minutes per contest. The depth is in the favor of the Spartans as they have 10 players who average more than 11 minutes per game. There are 12 players who average more than six.

The length in the post and the depth will wear down the Fighting Irish and Michigan State will be able to key on Bonzie Colson.

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