Michigan State Basketball: 3 keys in 2022 non-con matchup with Gonzaga

Battle the Elements

The Carrier Classic was not canceled because the Basketball was terrible or the ratings were bad. Quite the opposite. The game has always featured two of the better teams in the country and watched them battle it out, so the true College Basketball fans were always going to watch. The game was canceled because it is being played on an aircraft carrier, outside, in the ocean. Those are all things that have proven to be non-conducive to good basketball. It just sounds weird to say check the weather forecast in San Diego that night before you head out to the basketball game.

There were some key things that kept the old Carrier Classic from continuing. One, the game is being played on a boat in the Ocean which means the floor has a tendency to take on water which can make the floor slippery, bounce differently, and not overly safe to be on. The other thing is that the game is outside, which means many different things but because this game is near the Ocean the wind, yes is right the Wind may play a huge factor in making it very hard to shoot threes or shoot the ball at all. These things are very real concerns that both teams are going to have to deal with.

Luckily for the Spartans head coach Tom Izzo has had a team play in the Carrier Classic, so he kind of knows what to expect from battling the elements standpoint. No player is ever going to be truly ready for that, as it is nothing like what they experience on an everyday basis and never will again. likely never will again over their basketball careers. This is going to be an issue for both teams, whoever makes adjustments to the weather is going to have a huge advantage, and a good chance to win this game.