NCAA Basketball: Preview for the 2018 ACC/Big Ten Challenge
No. 11 Michigan State @ Louisville – Nov. 27
The Michigan State Spartans will need to replace the production of Miles Bridges and Jaren Jackson Jr., who are both off to the NBA, but the return of 6-foot-8 forward Nick Ward certainly helps. Ward averaged 12.4 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game in 2017-18. In the backcourt, there’s also guard Cassius Winston. He averaged 12.6 points, 6.9 assists, and 3.4 rebounds last season for the Spartans.
SPLASH!@MSU_Basketball's Cassius Winston is 6/6 today from behind the arc. pic.twitter.com/gQ6DheK3rW
— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) February 25, 2018
The Spartans have experience on their side, although the Louisville Cardinals are always a tough opponent to face on the road. First-year head coach Chris Mack acquires a team with little experience returning from their 22-14 squad in 2017-18. Deng Adel and Ray Spalding both passed up on their college eligibility to test their hand in the NBA Draft. V.J. King should see his role increase after averaging 8.6 points and 3.3 rebounds as a sophomore.
They will be a team that is very young and thin on the interior, that’s for sure. 6-foot-11 center Malik Williams should also see extended playing time in 2018-19. Homecourt advantage could help some, but the lack of depth could come back to haunt Louisville in the long run here. Michigan State can make this one an easy victory.