With Michigan State looming, the Tar Heels look to avoid being the third No. 1 seed toppled by the Spartans. Conventional wisdom would state that all UNC has to do is play their game in order to win -- seeing as they have superior talent -- but Michigan State is humming right now. So, we'll examine five ways to beat the Spartans, though none of them are surefire ways. After all, we know how tenacious Spartans can be. Check here for how Michigan State can beat UNC.1. Play a Zone
I'm normally not a huge proponent of playing zone, but I've seen too many teams burned by Michigan State's execution in the half-court recently. They screen well, they pass well, they never stop moving, they slash to the basket, and they don't shoot the three too often (less than 15 attempts per game this season).
Playing a 2-3 zone would eliminate much of the offensive movement which allows the Spartans open looks inside, and force them to take more perimeter shots. Don't get me wrong, they can hit the outside look, but it's not as much a strength as the slashing-and-ball-movement game.
2. Keep Them Off the Offensive Glass
North Carolina is a great rebounding team, but so is Michigan State. After collecting 16 more Saturday night against UConn, the Spartans upped their average to 14.1 offensive boards a game. That's a lot of extra shots for a team who plays such suffocating defense. If you are UNC, there's no reason to allow the Spartans so many second chance looks.
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DETROIT - APRIL 04: Head coach Jay Wright of the Villanova Wildcats walks off the court after losing to the North Carolina Tar Heels 83-69 during the National Semifinal game of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship at Ford Field on April 4, 2009 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Jay Wright
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DETROIT - APRIL 04: Corey Fisher #10 of the Villanova Wildcats goes up for a shot against Ed Davis #32 of the North Carolina Tar Heels in the second half during the National Semifinal game of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship at Ford Field on April 4, 2009 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Corey Fisher;Ed Davis
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Villanova's Scottie Reynolds (1) can't move the ball inside against North Carolina's Danny Green (14) and Tyler Hansbrough (50) during the second half of play in a Final Four game at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan, Saturday, April 4, 2009. North Carolina defeated Villanova 83-69. (Robert Willett/Raleigh News & Observer/MCT)
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North Carolina's Tyler Hansbrough (50) looks to move against Villanova's Shane Clark (20) in the second half of a Final Four game at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan, Saturday, April 4, 2009. North Carolina defeated Villanova 83-69. (Robert Willett/Raleigh News & Observer/MCT)
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Bracket shows matchups for the Final Four in the 2009 NCAA men’s Division I Basketball Championship
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Bracket results for Saturday night's games in the 2009 NCAA men’s Division I Basketball Championship
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DETROIT - APRIL 04: Reggie Redding #15 of the Villanova Wildcats drives for a shot attempt in the second half against Bobby Frasor #4 of the North Carolina Tar Heels during the National Semifinal game of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship at Ford Field on April 4, 2009 in Detroit, Michigan. North Carolina won 83-69. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Reggie Redding
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DETROIT - APRIL 04: Scottie Reynolds #1 of the Villanova Wildcats drives against Ty Lawson #5 of the North Carolina Tar Heels during the National Semifinal game of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship at Ford Field on April 4, 2009 in Detroit, Michigan. North Carolina won 83-69. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Ty Lawson;Scottie Reynolds
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DETROIT - APRIL 04: Scottie Reynolds #1 of the Villanova Wildcats drives for a shot attempt against Wayne Ellington #22 of the North Carolina Tar Heels during the National Semifinal game of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship at Ford Field on April 4, 2009 in Detroit, Michigan. North Carolina won 83-69. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Scottie Reynolds
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DETROIT - APRIL 04: Scott Reynolds #1 of the Villanova Wildcats drives against Wayne Ellington #22 and Deon Thompson #21 of the North Carolina Tar Heels during the second half of the National Semifinal game of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship at Ford Field on April 4, 2009 in Detroit, Michigan. North Carolina won 83-69. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Scottie Reynolds;Wayne Ellington;Deon Thompson
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3. Take Care of the Basketball and Move It Around
Michigan State's aggressive defense forced 16 UConn turnovers, compared to only 8 assists. That's just awful. In the previous game, Louisville managed 12 assists to go with their 12 turnovers. In order to beat such a strong defensive-minded team -- who is also great at rebounding -- you have to avoid the turnover while finding open looks via ball movement. UConn didn't do it, and we'll see if Ty Lawson and company can change the tide Monday night.
4. Get Back on Defense
When the Spartans push the fast break off a missed basket, there's almost no way to stop them. Between Kalin Lucas, Durrell Summers and Raymar Morgan -- to only name a few -- they have players who can run with anyone in the nation while also being excellent finishers around the hoop. Getting back on defense and forcing Michigan State into a half-court offensive set is paramount for the Tar Heels.
5. Keep Everyone Fresh
Tom Izzo used 11 players Saturday night against Connecticut, with only Lucas playing more than 30 minutes (32). This enables them to maintain their lightning pace on both offense and defense. They never turn down the energy level. The Tar Heels basically use a 7-man rotation. Those guys are awfully talented and in shape, but will MSU be able to tire them down with a frenetic pace? If so, Roy Williams may have to use his bench a bit more early in the second half to ensure his big guns are fresh for the last five minutes.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
4-06-2009 @ 1:39PM
Brad said...
What about the Louisville game? They played a 2-3 zone and Goran Suton dominated it.
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4-06-2009 @ 2:19PM
Matt Snyder said...
I'd much rather take my chances with Suton from three than let them slash through man-to-man. They only scored 64 points that game anyway -- winning it with defense (holding Louisville to 52).
As I said, though, nothing here is foolproof. MSU is very versatile.
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