Michigan State Basketball: 10 bold predictions for 2018-19 season

EAST LANSING, MI - JANUARY 31: Head coach Tom Izzo of the Michigan State Spartans talks to Cassius Winston #5 of the Michigan State Spartans during a game against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Breslin Center on January 31, 2018 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images) /

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EAST LANSING, MI – NOVEMBER 30: Joshua Langford #1 and Xavier Tilman #23 of the Michigan State Spartans helps Cassius Winston #5 of the Michigan State Spartans off the floor during the game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Breslin Center on November 30, 2017 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images) /

7. MSU beats UCLA, UNC to win the Las Vegas Invitational

By this time of the season, Michigan State will already have a ranked matchup under its belt. The Spartans will open the season with No. 1 Kansas in the Champions Classic before getting a few cupcakes and then traveling west for the Las Vegas Invitational — a four-team event featuring MSU, UCLA, Texas and North Carolina.

The Spartans will face No. 21 UCLA in the first matchup, making it two games against ranked opponents — assuming the Bruins don’t drop out of the AP Top 25 by then — by mid-November, which is more than most teams will have in all of non-conference play.

Michigan State will win the opener of the tourney against a beat-up UCLA team which has been hampered with some major injuries.

Following the UCLA win, the Spartans will face North Carolina, who will beat Texas. The Tar Heels are ranked No. 8 in the country and it’ll be a rematch of last year’s PK80 title game but the Spartans will get the better of North Carolina yet again.

Tom Izzo and the Spartans will win yet another early-season tourney.

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