+3/-3/Coaches Corner/Crystal Ball from MSU vs. UNC,

1. As I wrote as my #1 biggest positive after UConn is the half-court defense this team has played. Gave up 51 to DePaul, 57 to UConn and 45 to UNC. Keep in mind, this UNC team entered the game 7th in adjusted offense and recently has scored 87, 102, 96, 93 and 86 points. Some was our great defense and some was UNC missing shots. Either way, you hold them to a historic program low of 25%, 6% from “3,” and we defended the FT well at 58%. A lot of it is our 7 blocks and how we adjust shots. So many pieces were good on D, but it started with transition defense, which is always where it starts with UNC. Close-outs on the 3 point line, especially against Berry, were really good. Especially Tum. Ward’s ball screen defense was great. Carter and Tillman walled up against Maye in the post and defended well. Winston did a great job defending the dribble. The best possession was George having to guard Berry and forcing a tough shot Berry missed. Walk-on and probably 12th man if we are healthy guarding Final 4 MVP. If this team can keep guarding like this, watch out.

2. Josh Langford. 14 in the first half when we REALLY needed his offense. Ended the game with 23. Was in attack mode all night. Tum and Cash did a great job of finding him and bigs really screened well for him.

3. Won a championship of a legit preseason tournament. When you can win a championship, win a championship. Of any kind. You didn’t beat 3 all-world teams, but you made UNC look VERY pedestrian. UNC doesn’t look VERY pedestrian often. Winning 3 games in 4 days and the prep Izzo and staff put into it will be referred to come B1G tourney and NCAA tourney.

-3

1. First-half foul trouble continues to be a MAJOR issue for this team. We played a long stretch with: Tum, George, Cash, Carter, Tillman. Not a recipe for success. It’s happened all 3 games out here. Jackson, Bridges, Langford, all with 2. UNC had made 5 FG’s and 7 FT’s in the first 15 minutes. That can’t continue to happen or it will come back to bite you. You will get down 12 on the road in the B1G and you won’t be able to come back. One of this team’s biggest issues right now is foul trouble in the first half, how it sits half of the starters down and let’s the other team parade to the stripe (13 first half FT attempts, only 7 made FG’s). UNC shot 11 more free throws that we did, can’t continue that trend.

2. Turnovers and fouls. Still issues for this team. The turnovers tonight were brutal. Some are going to be absolutely brutal to watch in a film session. 24 turnovers and beat a top 10 team by double figures. All because of how you guard.

3. This was not a good offensive performance. Shot the ball poorly (40%), turned it over, had a hard time getting into sets. Not good enough offensively.

Coaches Corner

* UNC really screened well in the second half. They even ran some old-school “flex” for a few 2nd half possessions! Beat MSU on some back screens, curl screens, and slips. They shot the ball just horribly, but at least in the 2nd half, ran some legit half-court offensive sets. While it didn’t matter tonight, that spacing/movement/screening will pay off as the year goes.

* Izzo decided to go with ball-screen action to start offense for almost the entire 2nd half. Lots of it was a ball-screen, a re-ball-screen by the same man (who dove to the post), then a ball-screen by the other big. The hope was to get high-low looks. However, UNC helped from the wings, which led to uncontested corner 3’s for Langford and McQuaid. McQuaid was 1 for 6 and almost every one was uncontested. That is what teams are going to have to decide what to do, help on bigs or stay wide and guard 1 on 1 in the post. I don’t remember Izzo starting that much offense with ball screens, so we will have to see if that becomes a trend for this team.

Crystal Ball

* Notre Dame comes to town on Thursday. They are #3 in KenPom’s adjusted offense. This is going to be a MAJOR challenge for our improved half-court defense. They will really spread MSU out, make them play a TON of ball screen defense, and defend off the bounce. A huge challenge for another really good Mike Brey team.

Extras

* 52-36 rebounding advantage.

* Inability to get the ball inside early. UNC’s only 4 points before the 16:00 break were “pick 6’s” where Langford turned it over dribbling behind his back. 4 turnovers in first 4 minutes.

* My new ridiculous foul call of the game: About 11:30 left, Jaren Jackson posting up (not sure why he's doing it) when the ball is at half-court coming up. Offensive foul called. Minimal contact, even more minimal impact. Great refs not only know what to call, but what not to call. Runner-up would be the call on Winston around the 4:00 mark where Berry was dribbling sideways and ran right into Cash. Block called. That is the “freedom of movement” call Izzo hates.

* Teams just can’t go to the bench and get smart/post defenders like Tillman and Carter. What a luxury.

* Michigan State's first 9 possessions of the half: 1-for-5 shooting with four turnovers

* Tum with a big 7 point stretch early in the 2nd half. Got to the rim for 2 layups and also a great baseline pitch to Langford for a “3.” Huge run by him when UNC was cutting into the lead.

* Evidently in the ACC you teach players to soccer-style dive. Grayson Allen plays and flails around and now Pinson completely takes a dive tonight. Embarrassing for those two coaches and programs.

* 3 points for Jackson, 7 for Ward, 11 for Bridges. Crazy to win a game like that when the three of them combine for 21.

* Luke Maye is a good college player. When he tried to score on an NBA player, like Jaren Jackson, he had a hard time getting the ball to the rim. Luke Maye is awfully happy he doesn’t get guarded by JJ every game, like Berry is happy he doesn’t get guarded by Tum.