Keeping It Heel
Fansided

UNC Basketball: Breaking down the field of the Las Vegas Invitational

By Alec Lasley

CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA - NOVEMBER 12: Nassir Little #5 of the North Carolina Tar Heels drives against Lukas Kisunas #32 of the Stanford Cardinal during the second half of their game at the Dean Smith Center on November 12, 2018 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. North Carolina won 90-72 (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA - NOVEMBER 12: Nassir Little #5 of the North Carolina Tar Heels drives against Lukas Kisunas #32 of the Stanford Cardinal during the second half of their game at the Dean Smith Center on November 12, 2018 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. North Carolina won 90-72 (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) /
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EAST LANSING, MI – NOVEMBER 18: Matt McQuaid #20 of the Michigan State Spartans drives past Johnnie Vassar #5 of the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles in the first half at Breslin Center on November 18, 2018 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images)
EAST LANSING, MI – NOVEMBER 18: Matt McQuaid #20 of the Michigan State Spartans drives past Johnnie Vassar #5 of the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles in the first half at Breslin Center on November 18, 2018 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images) /

No. 11 Michigan State (Record: 3-1)

For a possible matchup against Michigan State, it will not only be an up-tempo game, but it will be won on the backboards.

Usually, the case when these two teams matchup, each team has ranked in the top 10 each of the last two years in total rebounds and currently the Tar Heels are third in the country in total rebounds per game, as Michigan State ranks eighth.

The Matchup to watch is that at the point guard position. As both teams rank in the top 10 in scoring, the pace is what both coaches want out of the lead guards.

For the Spartans, they come in with one of the best point guards in the country with Cassius Winston. Averaging 17.3 points and 7.0 assists per game, Winston ranks second in the Big Ten in assists per game and third in assists per game per 40 minutes (9.6).

With the Tar Heels, their dual headed attack of Coby White and Seventh Woods is one of the quickest duos in the country.

For White, he provides the scoring punch for Carolina (11.6 ppg) and Woods the playmaking ability (5.4 apg).

Woods ranks second in the ACC in total assists (27), first in assists per game per 40 minutes (13.8) and fifth in assist per game, meanwhile only playing 15.6 minutes per game.

The winner of this possible matchup will be won based on which teams’ point guards play better, and it’s always better to have more than one quality point guard on the roster, so I give that matchup win to the Tar Heels.

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