Hansbrough is not MSU's top concern

EAST LANSING - Tyler Hansbrough is the face of what might be the best college basketball team in many years, and his injured shin is getting all the headlines.

Michigan State is most concerned, though, with No. 1 North Carolina's "head." That is, point guard Ty Lawson, a player Tom Izzo said has "Mateen Cleaves' strength and God's quickness."

"We want to try to stop Lawson," MSU junior forward Marquise Gray said. "He's a bullet. He's the head, and as the head goes, the body goes."

Hansbrough or not, the Tar Heels (7-0) look unbeatable entering tonight's ACC/Big Ten Challenge matchup with No. 13 MSU (4-1) at Ford Field in Detroit. The All-American senior center has missed four games this season and is questionable for tonight.

MSU senior center Goran Suton, meanwhile, is not expected to play thanks to a sprained knee that has kept him out of the past three games. Suton's absence further complicates a daunting assignment.

Izzo said UNC "is maybe the best team we've played since I've been here." A team, he said, that may have a chance to be in the discussion as "one of the best teams ever."

Hansbrough, the returning national player of the year, is the biggest of many valuable pieces for Roy Williams' team.

Wings Danny Green (14.6 points per game) and Wayne Ellington (13.4) are sharp-shooting athletes. Power forward Deon Thompson (15.6 points, 8.0 rebounds) is the team's most improved player.

The bench includes veteran guard Bobby Frasor, slick freshman guard Larry Drew II and freshman forward Ed Davis (9.3 points, 9.0 rebounds). Davis was a five-star recruit scooped up by Williams after freshman Delvon Roe picked MSU over the Tar Heels in the spring of 2007.

All are talented players. All are made better by Lawson, a 5-foot-11 junior averaging 16.0 points and 6.7 assists a game.

A projected first-round pick a year ago, Lawson decided to return to school to pursue the national title that has eluded the Tar Heels the past two seasons.

Lawson now also has the experience to go with his hard-to-match physical attributes.

"He's the best at getting the ball from one end to the other, by far, that I've ever seen," Izzo said of Lawson. "Because he can do it with strength - he's not afraid of contact - and he can do it with speed. And he can do it at warp speed, but somewhat under control."

MSU will watch Lawson with "four and a half guys," Izzo said, to try to keep him from blazing into the heart of the defense in transition. Lawson's ability to get into the paint forces other defenders to help, leaving UNC's shooters open and big men unblocked for offensive rebounds.

The Spartans have watched film of their 81-67 loss to the Tar Heels in the second round of the 2007 NCAA Tournament. In that game, Izzo said, MSU did a good job of getting in Lawson's way - even though the then-freshman finished with 20 points, eight assists and five rebounds.

Kalin Lucas was not around then. The MSU sophomore guard will match up with Lawson tonight, in an individual foot race that should be entertaining.

"I'm very excited for it, he's one of the best point guards in the country," said Lucas, a Sterling Heights native who had his breakthrough game as a freshman against Texas' D.J. Augustin at The Palace of Auburn Hills.

"Two of the quickest guys in college basketball, no question," North Carolina coach Roy Williams said of Lawson and Lucas. "It'll be interesting to see how they attack each other."

Slowing Lawson is the key to limiting UNC's transition game, which has been devastating. The Tar Heels have destroyed all comers so far, including No. 7 Notre Dame.

Rebounding, executing offensively, avoiding foul trouble and making free throws are the other keys to an upset that Izzo outlined Tuesday.

MSU is shooting a surprisingly low 63.6 percent from the line.

That and perimeter defense were problems in the Old Spice Classic tournament over the weekend, in which MSU was routed by Maryland before beating Oklahoma State and Wichita State.

With Suton out, Roe still limited by his knees, and the rest of the Spartans still working toward cohesion, tonight appears to be a long shot. MSU will take that shot, and start by crowding Lawson.

"There's been bigger upsets than this," Izzo said, "and there will be bigger upsets than this, this year."

• Where: Ford Field in Detroit

• When: 9:15 p.m. today

• TV/Radio: ESPN; Spartan Sports Network radio, including WJIM 1240-AM and WMMQ 94.9-FM

• Records: MSU is 4-1; UNC is 7-0

• Series: North Carolina leads 7-3

• Coaches: MSU - Tom Izzo is 309-131 in his 14th season, all with the Spartans. North Carolina - Roy Williams is 567-134 in his 21st season overall and 149-33 in his sixth with the Tar Heels.

• Projected lineups

MSU

Pos. Name PPG

F (41) Marquise (6-8) 7.4

F (2) Raymar Morgan (6-8) 17.0

G (5) Travis Walton (6-2) 8.0

G (15) Durrell Summers (6-4) 8.2

G (1) Kalin Lucas (6-0) 11.6

North Carolina

Pos. Name PPG

F (50) Tyler Hansbrough (6-9) 21.0

F (21) Deon Thompson (6-8) 15.6

F (14) Danny Green (6-6) 14.6

G (22) Wayne Ellington (6-4) 13.4

G (2) Ty Lawson (5-11) 16.0

• MSU update: Starting center Goran Suton (knee) is not expected to play. The Spartans are preparing as if Hansbrough (shin) will play, with Izzo joking Tuesday that Hansbrough "just took the day off so he could get ready for us." Hansbrough sat Sunday's game as a precaution. If he does play, Gray gets the first crack. But MSU will use Idong Ibok on him, Izzo hinted that freshman Draymond Green might get a chance, and sophomore center Tom Herzog could see a stint if needed. Overall, the foul situation in this game is critical. The Spartans, Morgan especially, must stay out of foul trouble. And the Spartans, Morgan especially, must make free throws. This is MSU's 18th chance to upset the No. 1-ranked team in the polls. The Spartans are 2-15 in such games, beating No. 1 Indiana State in the 1979 title game and No. 1 Wisconsin in 2007.

• North Carolina update: This team has everything - and it's missing guard Marcus Ginyard (foot) and talented freshman center Tyler Zeller (wrist). Ginyard will be back around the New Year, while Zeller is out for the year. Hansbrough is said to be a game-time decision with a shin injury that got tight on him recently. Even if he can't go, UNC has inside strength in Thompson and Ed Davis, plenty of shooting and athleticism on the wing, and college basketball's most explosive point guard in Lawson. North Carolina leads the nation in scoring margin (plus-29.7) and is second in scoring average (96.9). And the Tar Heels keep getting better defensively, but MSU will be able to get shots tonight. Can the Spartans get stops and rebounds? Those are bigger questions.

• Prediction: If Hansbrough plays, this will not be a close game. Even if he can't go, the Tar Heels are too good for the Spartans right now. Look for MSU to compete, hang around for a while and ultimately lose convincingly.

• Make it: UNC 91, MSU 72

- Joe Rexrode