Michigan State Basketball: 5 bold predictions for November 2018

DETROIT, MI - MARCH 16: Head coach Tom Izzo of the Michigan State Spartans coaches against the Bucknell Bison during the first half in the first round of the 2018 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Little Caesars Arena on March 16, 2018 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /

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PORTLAND, OR – NOVEMBER 26: North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Roy Williams and Michigan State Spartans head coach Tom Izzo speak before the game between the Michigan State Spartans and the North Carolina Tar Heels 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) /

3. Michigan State wins Las Vegas Invitational

The Las Vegas Invitational will be one of the more intriguing early-season tournaments in 2018-19 and Michigan State will face a tough test against UCLA in the first round followed by a matchup with either Texas or North Carolina for the title.

Michigan State will take care of the hampered Bruins, who have had some injury misfortune this offseason, and then take down North Carolina in the title game to claim a second straight early-season tournament championship — the PK90 last year was arguably more impressive, but they’ll have to go through North Carolina once again.

This will improve the Spartans’ record to 6-0 heading into the Big Ten-ACC Challenge on Nov. 27 at Louisville.

Cassius Winston will have himself a big tourney and Nick Ward, too, will open some eyes. However, it’ll be Xavier Tillman who truly breaks out and becomes an integral piece to the Spartans’ winning puzzle and this will be the start of his rise to stardom at Michigan State.

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