Losing to the Michigan State Spartans was a disheartening result for the North Carolina Tar Heels, who were striving not only to keep their undefeated season alive but also to further establish themselves as a serious contender.
That is not saying that North Carolina should now be overlooked because of this result, but there were several reasons why we may have hit the pause button on placing the Tar Heels into legitimate championship contenders’ discourse.
For example, the Tar Heels’ lack of depth and backcourt talent was tested, and it did not hold up well against Michigan State. That became obvious in the final nine minutes of the game when North Carolina ran out of gas, succumbing to a 21-8 run to close out the contest.
The Spartans’ depth, experience, cohesion, and overall execution in specific situations carried them to a victory over the Tar Heels…