I love UNC tonight a lot. Some may think it is just because the jersey says “UNC” but here is why I love them…
#1. The game is being played 90 minutes from the Breslin Center. The game is being played at Ford Field, now lets think about this. What gives college teams the biggest home court advantage? The answers are the student sections and the fact that the arenas are usually very small and packed to capacity. In my mind, the Spartans are going to lose a lot of the home court advantage they would have had if they played over in East Lansing. First of all the students have to drive 90 minutes to Detroit and back and I have to believe that in the final weeks of the college semester with kids cramming for finals the turn out won’t be that strong. Don’t get me wrong there will be students that make the trek but I am going to say only 50% then would be at East Lansing. #2 the noise they generate is going to be dulled down. The Breslin Center holds 16,000 fans. Ford Field seats 78,000 for a basketball game. Expect a ton of empty seats and a much wider area for noise to travel. For a poised team like UNC, I feel like this is going to feel like a neutral court game.
#2. The talent level between MSU and UNC is strongly in favor of UNC. Goran Suton is out and you are crazy if you think Hansborough won’t go. Now the presence inside for MSU replacing Suton is a freshman by the name of Delvin Roe who has been seeing limited minutes due to a lingering knee injury that he suffered in high school. Do you really think a freshman with a bummed knee is going to even be a factor inside around Thompson and Hansborough? Ty Lawson is the most athletic point guard in the country and although it should be a good battle between Lawson and Kalin Lucas I just don’t see Lucas keeping up. Raymar Morgan is going to have to have an epic game here in order for MSU to stay close and he has a tendency to not show up if he doesn’t get involved early and I am sure he is priority #1 for the Heels. Now UNC has four legit NBA prospects in Lawson, Hansborough, Danny Green, and Wayne Ellington as well as a much improved Deon Thompson. I just don’t see MSU being able to stop the UNC offense.
#3. Tom Izzos comments. Read these quotes:
“Our team is not where we need to be at this point and it's not where we're going to be down the road,"
Izzo says that if the Tar Heels stay healthy, there will be talk about whether North Carolina should be considered one of the best teams in college history. That's one reason he's fired up for Wednesday's game, a rare chance to play a No. 1-ranked team.
"We're definitely excited about the opportunity we have in front of us, even though it might be daunting, to say the least," Izzo said. "It's maybe the best team we've played since I've been here."
He doesn't sound like a coach about to beat the #1 team in the country. If one of the best basketball minds is saying this team is possibly the best ever then I believe him. This UNC team is built to win this championship this year and I feel like they are similar to last years Patriots in that they are going to steam through teams. I am not saying that UNC is going to blow over all teams by double digits, I think in conference they are going to have some very hard fought games however this is a pretty bad match up for MSU and I just can't see it yet. I believe this is a down year for MSU and that they overachieved last year.
I have never seen a team that plays fast and tough on both ends of the floor, crashes both boards, and can run and pound it inside as successful as they do.
GL to all...this is just how I feel.
