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UNC-Michigan State meet on aircraft carrier
NORTH CAROLINA TAR HEELS (0-0)
vs. MICHIGAN STATE SPARTANS (0-0)
USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier - San Diego, CA
Tip-off: Friday, 7:00 p.m. EDT
Line: North Carolina -10.5, Total: 135
The nation’s Number 1 team, North Carolina, tips off their quest for a national title against Michigan State on the flight deck of the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier in San Diego Friday night.
Carolina clearly has the nation’s most talented roster, boasting three All-America candidates in the frontcourt: Harrison Barnes, Tyler Zeller and John Henson. The Heels have beaten the Spartans five times in a row, SU and ATS, dating back to 2005. In the midst of a second straight disappointing season a year ago, Carolina turned things around when they inserted point guard Kendall Marshall into the lineup, winning 12 of their last 13 regular season games (SU) and advancing to the ACC Tournament finals and the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight. But even after the turnaround, this team didn’t fare well ATS at neutral sites, going 5-2 SU but only 1-5-1 ATS. Even though the Spartans are coming off a disappointing year, they always defend hard and have the athletes to survive against Carolina’s NBA-caliber lineup. MICHIGAN STATE may not win outright, but it will keep the final margin to single-digits.
The FoxSheets provide another trend working against Carolina:
Play Against - Neutral court teams as a favorite or pick (NORTH CAROLINA) - up-tempo team averaging from last season 62 or more shots/game. (80-42 since 1997, 65.6%, +33.8 units. Rating = 2*).
The Spartans have a good amount of turnover with their roster, losing starting guards Durrell Summers and Kalin Lucas to graduation and forward Delvon Roe to a career-ending knee injury. They do return versatile power forward Draymond Green (12.6 PPG, 8.6 RPG, 4.1 APG) as their senior team leader and will surround him with some promising young talent. Sophomore combo guard Keith Appling should fit well alongside Green, and freshman forward Branden Dawson, a top recruit, impressed during exhibition play by averaging 12.5 PPG on 12-of-23 shooting from the field. Now back in shape, junior center Derrick Nix, a starter on State’s 2010 Final Four team, could have a big impact inside. He was benched for most of last season for being overweight.
The Spartans’ Achilles heel could be outside shooting, a must for any team trying to upset Carolina. With Lucas and Summers gone, Appling will have to provide a deep threat, but he went 0-for-9 from three-point land during exhibition play, and the Spartans went 7-for-38 (18%) from downtown as a team.
With all five starters returning, the Tar Heels are absolutely stacked, led by sophomore wing Barnes, arguably the nation’s most-talented player. After a slow start under monstrous expectations as a freshman, Barnes emerged as a star once Marshall stepped into the lineup. Over the final 20 games of last season, Barnes averaged 19.1 PPG on 46% shooting from the field, after averaging 11.7 PPG on 37% FG in his first 17 games. Zeller (15.7 PPG, 7.2 RPG) provides a complementary threat, able to score inside or from the high post, and Henson (11.7 PPG) is one of the nation’s elite rebounders (10.7 RPG) and shot blockers (3.2 BPG). Carolina also returns Marshall at point guard and defensive specialist Dexter Strickland, and adds forward James McAdoo, one of the nation’s top freshmen.
NORTH CAROLINA TAR HEELS (0-0)
vs. MICHIGAN STATE SPARTANS (0-0)
USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier - San Diego, CA
Tip-off: Friday, 7:00 p.m. EDT
Line: North Carolina -10.5, Total: 135
The nation’s Number 1 team, North Carolina, tips off their quest for a national title against Michigan State on the flight deck of the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier in San Diego Friday night.
Carolina clearly has the nation’s most talented roster, boasting three All-America candidates in the frontcourt: Harrison Barnes, Tyler Zeller and John Henson. The Heels have beaten the Spartans five times in a row, SU and ATS, dating back to 2005. In the midst of a second straight disappointing season a year ago, Carolina turned things around when they inserted point guard Kendall Marshall into the lineup, winning 12 of their last 13 regular season games (SU) and advancing to the ACC Tournament finals and the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight. But even after the turnaround, this team didn’t fare well ATS at neutral sites, going 5-2 SU but only 1-5-1 ATS. Even though the Spartans are coming off a disappointing year, they always defend hard and have the athletes to survive against Carolina’s NBA-caliber lineup. MICHIGAN STATE may not win outright, but it will keep the final margin to single-digits.
The FoxSheets provide another trend working against Carolina:
Play Against - Neutral court teams as a favorite or pick (NORTH CAROLINA) - up-tempo team averaging from last season 62 or more shots/game. (80-42 since 1997, 65.6%, +33.8 units. Rating = 2*).
The Spartans have a good amount of turnover with their roster, losing starting guards Durrell Summers and Kalin Lucas to graduation and forward Delvon Roe to a career-ending knee injury. They do return versatile power forward Draymond Green (12.6 PPG, 8.6 RPG, 4.1 APG) as their senior team leader and will surround him with some promising young talent. Sophomore combo guard Keith Appling should fit well alongside Green, and freshman forward Branden Dawson, a top recruit, impressed during exhibition play by averaging 12.5 PPG on 12-of-23 shooting from the field. Now back in shape, junior center Derrick Nix, a starter on State’s 2010 Final Four team, could have a big impact inside. He was benched for most of last season for being overweight.
The Spartans’ Achilles heel could be outside shooting, a must for any team trying to upset Carolina. With Lucas and Summers gone, Appling will have to provide a deep threat, but he went 0-for-9 from three-point land during exhibition play, and the Spartans went 7-for-38 (18%) from downtown as a team.
With all five starters returning, the Tar Heels are absolutely stacked, led by sophomore wing Barnes, arguably the nation’s most-talented player. After a slow start under monstrous expectations as a freshman, Barnes emerged as a star once Marshall stepped into the lineup. Over the final 20 games of last season, Barnes averaged 19.1 PPG on 46% shooting from the field, after averaging 11.7 PPG on 37% FG in his first 17 games. Zeller (15.7 PPG, 7.2 RPG) provides a complementary threat, able to score inside or from the high post, and Henson (11.7 PPG) is one of the nation’s elite rebounders (10.7 RPG) and shot blockers (3.2 BPG). Carolina also returns Marshall at point guard and defensive specialist Dexter Strickland, and adds forward James McAdoo, one of the nation’s top freshmen.
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