16 - The Michigan Daily - Thursday, March 19, 1998
BASKETBALL
Road only gets tougher for
Michigan State in Sweet 16
North Carolina (32-3) looms for Spartans in Greensboro
I
6
GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) - The tradition, the big-
name players, the tournament success.
It's all hard to escape for Michigan State.
And if that's not enough, there's the prospect of thou-
sands of North Carolina fans along Tobacco Road who
will fill Greensboro Coliseum on Thursday night, intent
on seeing the Tar Heels move closer to yet another Final
Four.
Tom Izzo just hopes his team isn't consumed by the
Tar Heels' mystique or the pressure of an
East Regional semifinal.
The Spartans haven't advanced this far
since 1990. Now consider North Carolina: 9 9 S
The Tar Heels (32-3), top-seeded and
ranked No. 1, have been to the round of 16
i16 of the last 18 years.
r"When you play a team like this you've
dt to realize you're not playing Michael
lordan, yo not playing all the trophies,
u're just playing them," Izzo said
Wednesday.
"For the most part this team does not really have a fear
actor," added Izzo, whose fourth-seeded team won the
1ig Ten regular-season title and is 22-7. "I don't know if
4i're too young or maybe we have enough competitive
Wiids. I would be lying to you if I didn't say we respect
Uorth Carolina bigger than anyone we're played all year,
t I don't think our guys are afraid of them."
-Mateen Cleaves, Michigan State's scoring leader and
fgTen player of the year, said even he grew up a North
Frolina fan, watching the Tar Heels on television as a
'din Flint.
"When you think of North Carolina you think of the
eadition, the Jordans, the Worthys, the Stackhouses -
down the line," the Spartans' point guard said yes-
kerday. "I liked seeing that blue on the TV. It should be
Ain to go out and play against them. It's like a dream
Tome true."
Or a nightmare.
The Tar Heels were ranked No. I in the nation for
eight
team
weeks this season and have at many times been a
of overpowering experience, skill and flair.
"They have a phenomenal outside player in
(Shammond) Williams and an inside player in (Antawn)
Jamison, and if you try to just worry about those two
guys then Carter lives above the rim," Izzo said.
"They've got so many ways to hurt you. The only com-
parison we have is Michigan, but it's different because
(Michigan) is not as athletic.
"We need to keep a body on those
guys because if we don't it's going to be
a dunk-a-thon."
North Carolina's mark on the game
the last 40 years is etched in the college
record books. And Izzo knows what a
victory over the Tar Heels would mean.
"We're in the building stages and the
only way you start to get over the hump
is you have to do something that maybe
is a little unnatural," Izzo said. "For
North Carolina to lose a Sweet 16 game
is not the norm.
"It would be as big a victory at Michigan State since
Magic Johnson won the (1979) national championship."
Cleaves, who had 20 and 27 points in his team's first
two NCAA Tournament games, is the key.
"He's explosive, a strong competitor and he really
pushes the ball up the floor," North Carolina coach Bill
Guthridge said. "He'll be an NBA player."
But with the Tar Heels rotating Ed Cota, Williams and
the much-taller Carter on him, Cleaves will be a marked
man.
"There is no secret that if we don't have other people
step up we won't win this basketball game," Izzo said.
"But the other part of it is if we don't defend and
rebound we won't either."
Michigan State will rely on contributions from three
other players from Cleaves' native Flint - forwards
Antonio Smith and Morris Peterson, and guard Charlie
Bell.
The Spartans will
likely have a
rough time when
they take on
North Carolina
tonight in
Greensboro.
Michigan State
coach Tom Izzo
said his team bet-G
ter play defense,
or else "it's going
to be a dunk-a-
thon."
SARA STILLMAN/Daily
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1998 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament
Midwest
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1. North Carolina
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Michigan State
13. Eastern Michigan Greensboro Coliseum
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16. Nicholls State Arizona
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10. West Virginia West Vir inia
2. Cincinnati
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