Whenever someone asks you if you want to hear the good news or the bad news first, you probably choose the latter just to get it out of the way. That’s exactly why I already wrote about what disadvantages Michigan State basketball could face against No. 16 North Carolina on Thursday.
The Spartans face some disadvantages that might not play a huge role on Thursday, but they also have some major advantages over the Tar Heels — and one not-so-major advantage.
So, without giving too much away, here are the advantages that MSU has over the nation’s No. 16 team.
1. Jeremy Fears Jr.
This was the easiest advantage to choose, and that’s why it’s No. 1 on the list. Jeremy Fears Jr. is going to be an advantage in almost every game he plays this season. He’s had at least nine assists in all six games so far this season as he’s proving to be arguably the nation’s best pure point guard.
North Carolina doesn’t have a player quite like Fears who can lead the offense and make sure things don’t spiral out of control. Fears keeps the team level, which is like having a coach on the floor.
Plus, he leads the nation in assists (10.2 per game). North Carolina will be without Seth Trimble which is a huge hit to the backcourt while the Spartans will have the best guard on the floor.
2. Defense
This is the one not-so-major advantage that Michigan State has because, well, North Carolina, too, has a stingy defense. The Tar Heels haven’t played as many difficult opponents, however.
North Carolina allows just over 64 points per game while the Spartans are somewhere around 62.2 points allowed per game. The Tar Heels haven’t seen a defense like this so far this season — just look at what MSU did to Arkansas and Kentucky. The Spartans held both Arkansas and Kentucky under 70 points despite both having high-octane offenses.
Michigan State has about 8-9 guys who love to defend, and that could be the difference.
3. Tom Izzo
Hubert Davis has proven to be a solid coach, but he’s no Tom Izzo. Having a coaching advantage always seems to help in these big-time games because Izzo has seen just about everything before and he doesn’t shy away from the big stage.
Plus, some of Izzo’s best coaching moments have come when the lights are the brightest. All you have to do is look at what happened in the Champions Classic last week.
Izzo is a Hall of Famer, Davis is still trying to carve out a career in Chapel Hill. The coaching advantage goes to the Spartans, and Izzo will have his guys more than ready.