5 reasons why Michigan State is this year’s UConn

The Napier/Trice effect

Most National championship teams in the last decade have had that guy in their lineup who is capable of taking over the game- especially in the closing minutes. Last year, it was Shabazz Napier for the Huskies and this year it could be Travis Trice for the Spartans.

In the National Championship game in 2014, Napier came out of the gates firing scoring 15 points in the first half alone. He was consistent from beyond the arc and absolutely deflated the Kentucky Wildcats with his efficiency. Napier got hot. And when a player who has such a high ceiling like Napier catches fire, there is little an opposing team can do to extinguish it.

The same goes for Travis Trice. He has averaged 19.8 points a game this year in the NCAA tournament. And his late game heroics have come in handy against opponents. Against Louisville in the Elite 8, Trice nailed two key free throws in the final moments that sealed the victory. In the Sweet Sixteen match up against Louisville, Trice went to the line with 14 seconds remaining and drained two free throws that put Michigan State just out of reach of Oklahoma. Against Virginia, with 45 seconds left, Trice again hit two free throws to put the game out of reach. The kid consistently closes out games for the Spartans, something that is extremely valuable in the post season.

Whatever it is that these two guards have, it pushes their respective teams just enough to get victories late in March. Last year Napier did it and found himself on an NBA roster the following season. This year with the way Michigan State has been playing, who knows what the future holds for Travis Trice. But one thing is for sure, if he continues playing like he has been, the Spartans will be the ones cutting down the nets in 2015.

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