UNC vs Michigan State: Preview, broadcast information & prediction

North Carolina squares off with Michigan State in PK80 title game

The Phil Knight Invitational is the best thing that’s ever happened to early season, non-conference basketball. The level of competition in this tournament has far exceeded that of others, including the Maui Invitational on its best years.

There’s no question that fans will be clamoring for the Phil Knight Invitational to become an annual tradition, and with any luck, it will.

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Consider that the tournament’s two championship games, matchups pitting No. 4 Michigan State against No. 9 North Carolina and No. 1 Duke versus No. 7 Florida, cap off what has already been an incredibly competitive spectacle.

The Spartans come with an immensely talented core of underclassmen, led by sophomore preseason All-American and likely top-5 pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, Miles Bridges. The Tar Heels’ have a young and talented interior, but will look to their experienced back court as the catalyst for Roy Williams’ fast-paced, uptempo offense.

Despite which teams come out on top today, each appears to be a good bet to make a deep run in March. And the real winners of today’s games, regardless of the scoreboard, is the fans.

One Michigan State player to watch…

With all due respect to Miles Bridges, Cassius Winston could be the most important player for the Spartans in this game.

Winston has improved tremendously from last season to now, increasing his numbers in nearly every major statistical category. He’s averaging 13.2 points, 7.6 assists and 2.6 rebounds through the Spartans’ first five games of the season. What’s more is he’s doing it with an incredible efficiency.

The sophomore guard is hitting 54.8 percent of his field goal attempts and nearly 53 percent from three-point range. He’s also hitting 91 percent of his shots from the charity stripe and carries a 2.92 assist-to-turnover ratio.

If Winston is hitting shots from beyond the arc against the Tar Heels, it’ll allow the Michigan State bigs, Bridges included, to get good spacing and create mismatches inside. Theo Pinson and company will need to stick closely to Winston in an effort to contain his lethal shot and play-making abilities.

One UNC player to watch…

To say that Luke Maye‘s first five games of the season have been special would be a bit of an understatement. He’s not just been really good; he’s been great.

The former preferred walk-on turned scholarship player is suddenly the focal point of North Carolina’s offense, averaging 21.2 points, 10.8 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game. He’s shooting 58.1 percent from the floor, including nearly 53 percent from three-point range, and his 31.4 minutes per game lead the team.

PORTLAND, OR – NOVEMBER 24: Luke Maye /

Twice this season Maye has tallied new career-highs in points; 26 against Northern Iowa in the season opener and 28 against Arkansas on Friday night. He’s failed to score 20 points in a game only once this season, and the two games in which he didn’t record a double-double, he was just one rebound shy.

In the Tar Heels’ win over the Razorbacks in the PK80 semifinals, Maye became the first North Carolina player since Antawn Jamison to record 100 points and 50 rebounds in the team’s first five games to begin the season.

Sunday night’s PK80 title game matchup with Michigan State will be the toughest competition that Maye and the Tar Heels have faced this season. The Spartans’ combination of size and athletic ability will be a true test, and a good barometer for both Maye and his team as a whole.

Difference maker…

The Michigan State interior could cause problems for North Carolina’s young, inexperienced bigs. Freshman power forward Jaren Jackson, Jr. has been terrific to start the season. His ability to score, rebound and hit shots from the perimeter makes him one of the most impactful and versatile freshman in the nation.

Spartans’ big-bodied sophomore Nick Ward is an excellent scorer in the low post, and will do his best to overpower North Carolina’s young interior. Ward is as efficient as they come, too, connecting on better than 71 percent of his shots to start the season.

EAST LANSING, MI – NOVEMBER 19: Nick Ward /

And, of course, sophomore sensation Miles Bridges might be the best player in college basketball. His skill, athleticism and intellect match up with any player in the nation, and he causes mismatches no matter who he plays against.

North Carolina’s trio of freshman bigs, Garrison Brooks, Brandon Huffman and Sterling Manley, along with undersized but uber-talented Luke Maye, will have to compete with the Spartans’ size and skill down low. Nobody expects the Tar Heels to completely neutralize Michigan State’s interior, but they’ll have to do their best to keep things in check.

If North Carolina can hit shots from the outside and pull the Michigan State big men out to the perimeter, then it will open up driving lanes for the Tar Heels and keep the Spartans from holding such a huge defensive advantage in the paint.

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What you need to know

WHAT? North Carolina 5-0 (0-0 ACC) vs Michigan State 4-1 (0-0 Big 10)
WHEN? Sunday, November 26, 2017 at 8:30 p.m. ET
WHERE? Moda Center – Portland, Oregon
TV? ESPN
RADIO? Tar Heel Sports Network
LINE? MSU -2.0
SERIES HISTORY: North Carolina leads series 12-3
PREDICTION? UNC 93, Michigan State 84

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