Locked On Spartans - Daily Podcast On Michigan State Spartans Football & Basketball · Locked On Podcast Network, Matt Sheehan

WHO WINS: Where MSU basketball has ADVANTAGES over UConn; Can Alex Karaban sink Spartans?

·34 min·2 clips

UConn’s offense is 27th in adjusted efficiency, and Michigan State’s defense is 14th.

1. Locked On Spartans previews Michigan State versus UConn ahead of the Sweet 16 in Washington, D.C. 2. Matt Sheehan hosts the episode and Carter Elliott of Sleepers Media joins as the matchup analyst who matters most to the breakdown. 3. The episode asks where Michigan State has advantages over UConn and whether Alex Caravan can swing the game. 4. The hosts open by comparing UConn’s 27th-ranked adjusted offense with Michigan State’s 14th-ranked adjusted defense. 5. Carter says Alex Caravan is the toughest check because the 6-foot-8 forward runs through screens, backdoors, dribble handoffs, and double screens. 6. Sheehan and Carter also identify Solo Ball and Braylon Mullins as important UConn perimeter shots who have not been making them. 7. Carter says Solo Ball is at 29% from three this season and has been 2-for-18 from deep over the last four games. 8. Carter says Braylon Mullins is at 33% from three, which he describes as far below his high school shooting profile. 9. The episode then shifts to Michigan State’s defense and rebounding as the clearest place for an edge. 10. Carter argues Michigan State can gang rebound, push pace, and force Terrace Reed and Silas Demery to run in transition. 11. Carter says UConn is more vulnerable to dumb fouls than some teams and expects fouls to accumulate quickly. 12. The hosts discuss Michigan State’s offensive path through Jeremy Fears, who may have to create more of the shot-making himself. 13. They note UConn funnels opponents toward the free-throw line and away from clean three-point looks. 14. Carter says Michigan State’s strength is on the midrange and long-two shots that UConn is willing to concede. 15. The hosts compare that shot diet to the idea that Michigan State can still score enough if the midrange looks fall early. 16. Carter says Fears needs to play quickly, attack a hobbled Silas Demery, and lean into his All-American role. 17. The tone stays conversational, anxious, and matchup-heavy, with both hosts speaking like fans and analysts at the same time. 18. The format mixes direct questions, candid fear-sharing, stat references, and repeated back-and-forth over a 10 p.m. tipoff. 19. Michigan State fans who want a detailed UConn breakdown will get the most from this episode. 20. Fans looking for neutral tournament previews without Spartan-specific anxiety probably should skip it.

As heard by us

A measured Sweet 16 breakdown of Michigan State's matchup with UConn and where the Spartans might still find an edge.

The episode stays on Michigan State vs. UConn and gives Matt Sheehan and Carter Elliott room to work through where the Spartans might actually find an opening. The best part is the push and pull around Michigan State's offense against UConn's defense, and the reverse angle too.

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Why you'd press play

You want the real Michigan State-UConn chessboard, not a hot-take bracket preview.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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