Michigan State vs. Notre Dame: Who wins the position battles?

Shooting guard: Temple Gibbs vs. Joshua Langford

Last season Temple Gibbs was coming off the bench to back up the guards. Now he’s starting to turn the big two into the big three for Notre Dame. Just a year ago he averaged 4.7 ppg. Now, in the first six games, he’s averaging 15.5 ppg (third on the team), as well as 3.2 apg (second on the team).

What should make fans really happy about Gibb’s early performance has been his efficiency in doing so. Of all ACC players, he ranks third in offensive rating at 146.9 and currently shoots over 50% from deep.

Michigan State’s Joshua Langford has also improved so far from the previous year. In six games he’s averaging 13.7 ppg and shooting 48% from deep. This issue with Langford has been both consistency and whether he can show up for the big games.

He struggled mightily in the Champions Classic versus Duke but redeemed himself in a big way in the PK80 Victory finals with North Carolina. In an otherwise defensive struggle, it was Langford who shined with a game-high 23 points.

Both sophomores have looked good to start out the season. They play a very similar style, and when either is on it almost guarantees victory for their team. Even though it’s the one battle that doesn’t feature a true “star”, the winner of this individual duel could be an indicator of who wins the game.

Edge: Gibbs