Georgia vs. Michigan State: 2019-20 Maui Invitational game preview, TV schedule

Georgia and Michigan State are two teams that have had varying degrees of disappointment in Maui but will be looking for bounce-back performances on Tuesday.

TV Schedule: Tuesday, November 26, 2019, at 2:30 PM ET, ESPN2

Location: Lahaina Civic Center, Maui, Hawaii

Georgia and Michigan State have both had disappointing performances at the Maui Invitational, though Michigan State can actually claim that they were upset on Monday. Either way, both squads will be looking for bounce-back performances following Monday’s letdown.

Michigan State was upset by the undefeated Virginia Tech Hokies, who have shown off a tremendous level of offensive execution in their first season under head coach Mike White. The Hokies shot 10-for-21 (47.6%) from the 3-point line and this was more than enough to put away a Michigan State team that was without leader Cassius Winston for long stretches of time due to foul trouble.

With the Big Ten Preseason Player of the Year only contributing seven points on 2-for-8 shooting, two assists, and three turnovers, and committing the aforementioned 4 personal fouls, Tom Izzo had to rely on Xavier Tillman and Aaron Henry to keep the Spartans‘ offense afloat.

Tillman and Henry combined for 27 points and 19 rebounds, leading a charge down the stretch that brought Michigan State within striking distance. Specifically, a Henry 3-point make brought the Spartans within one point with just over a minute remaining. Ultimately, Va. Tech’s perimeter shooting was simply too much for the Spartans, and the fact that they let the Hokies get into a groove in the first half doomed them later on.

Michigan State’s defense never showed up in this one and Izzo is sure to lecture his team on the importance of avoiding slow starts, even more so in the continued absence of Joshua Langford.

The Spartans’ opponent on Tuesday will be the Georgia Bulldogs, who are coming off of a 19-point drubbing by Dayton. The Flyers were the first real competition of the young season for the Bulldogs and it showed.

Georgia continued to struggle from 3-point range (25.0%) and free throw range (52.9%), and both of these things make it impossible to win when combined with sloppy ballhandling (23 turnovers). Tom Crean wasn’t able to scheme up any open looks for stellar freshman Anthony Edwards, who went 2-for-10 from the field and only got to the free throw line twice. On top of the struggles from Edwards, Georgia was also dealing with second-leading scorer Rayshaun Hammonds being in foul trouble.

Hammonds was coming off of back-to-back 26-point games before Monday’s 5-point effort over 14 minutes, in which he fouled out. Georgia isn’t going to win many games where Edwards or Hammonds struggles to score, and they aren’t going to win many games where both struggle to do so.

The toughest part of the “one-and-done” prospect for coaches, is trying to develop any type of chemistry with your lineup knowing your star is there for a limited amount of time. This is simply the life of programs with elite talent and Georgia is adjusting to that big-time this season. More experienced squads will continue to challenge the Bulldogs to score in a halfcourt setting and force them to defend with physicality. Izzo’s Michigan State squad isn’t playing at their peak offensively but they have the elite defensive talent to force Georgia into an incredibly tough game.

Michigan State will likely use their inside scoring talents to grind out a convincing win.

Prediction: 76 Michigan State, Georgia 69