Spartans Dispose of Hillsdale and are Excited to Face #1 North Carolina in the Carrier Classic

EAST LANSING - After a 80-58 exhibition victory over Hillsdale College Tom Izzo’s young team now will focus on taking on #1 ranked North Carolina in the

EAST LANSING - After a 80-58 exhibition victory over Hillsdale College Tom Izzo’s young team now will focus on taking on #1 ranked North Carolina in the Carrier Classic game Veteran’s Day night on the USS Carl Vinson in San Diego.  There is no question that senior Draymond Green is the leader of this team, and Izzo said like past Spartan greats Magic Johnson and Mateen Cleaves MSU needs to keep Green on the floor. “Without Day Day we are a completely different team, we need him to stay out there.”

Off season Izzo challenged Green with an early morning text message telling him that he needs to elevate his game and lead the team the way Magic and Cleaves did in their final NCAA Championship winning seasons.  The senior forward who has played a key role in two Izzo Final Four teams is a rare three year captain.  Green who played this summer for Team USA in the World University Games is a pre-season John Wooden Award Top 50 selection. Green has tallied 18 career double-doubles, and is one of just three players in school history to record a triple-double, ranking second with two.

Few people will be picking Izzo’s young Spartans to knock off North Carolina and Green knows that. Green said “I don’t care about the rankings, it is still Michigan State – North Carolina. Everybody knows the key to stopping North Carolina is to stop them in transition. We have been working on that since August.” Tom Izzo said “North Carolina has a starting five where every player is projected to be a future NBA player”, and Izzo feels that their sixth and seventh men are good enough to start now for Roy Williams Tarheels.

To prepare for the outdoor game on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier Carl Vinson (CVN-70), Izzo said he will hold an outdoor practice session. “These kids now a days don’t know what it is like to play outdoors on concrete, I am going to show them.” Draymond Green said he hasn’t played a competitive game outdoors since his high school days in Saginaw. Freshman PG Travis Trice said he can’t even remember the last real game he played outdoors.  Trice said he is worried about playing a game on a ship, “I can’t swim, so if I fall off I am in trouble.”   Izzo said he hopes the wind helps the Spartans three point shooting.  Against Hillsdale MSU was 4-20 from beyond the arc with Draymond Green and Russell Byrd each hitting two. “The wind will be blowing for both teams out there so I hope it helps us.”