Here is a look at who has the advantages heading into this game between Michigan State and UCLA.
The center position, who has the advantage?
The way to look at the position battles is to see if the other team would switch players at any given position or keep who they have. In this instance, Michigan State has too much depth at the center position, even though Aday Mara has played well of late and is a talented player. The Spartans have more experience and production at that position.
Advantage: Michigan State
Who has the advantage at the power forward position?
One thing that needs to be spoken about before jumping into this position battle is that UCLA does not start a traditional front court of a true center, power forward, and small forward. This means that the Bruins play more of two power forwards and three guards to begin the game.
The Jaxon Kohler and Tyler Bilodeau match-up will be fun to watch. The edge goes to Bilodeau, who is currently UCLA's leading scorer. Now, Bilodeau will also start at center and Eric Dailey Jr. at power forward which is importanat to note. So either way, this is arguably the strongest position group for the Bruins. William Kyle III could be considered the third UCLA player at this position, which demonstrates how deep the Bruins are at this position. Xavier Booker for Michigan State is a very talented player like Mara but has not lived up to his potential at this point in his collegiate career.
Advantage: UCLA
Who has the advantage at the small forward position?
It is very important to note that both UCLA and Michigan State start a three-guard lineup more often than not. Meaning, the traditional small forward position can be played by a guard as opposed to a protypical wing player.
This will be a fun game to watch, Kobe Johnson and Coen Carr go up against one another. Johnson is an elite defender and Carr has an outstanding vertical who can chase down players for some spectacular blocked shots. However, if you were to consider Eric Dailey Jr. a small forward, along with Johnson, UCLA has the advantage here. Frankie Fidler has been playing well of late but the Bruins overall have depth at this position.
Advantage: UCLA
Does UCLA or Michigan State have the advantage at the two guard position?
Michigan State has a significant edge here, and to be fair to UCLA, most of their guards are interchangeable, with their four main guards being able to play the one or two positions. However, if we were to look at this matchup, Jaden Akins, Michigan State's leading scorer, and Jase Richardson, arguably a first-team Big Ten freshman selection at the end of the season, have the clear advantage over a talented Skyy Clark and a true freshman in Trent Perry.
Advantage: Michigan State
Who has the advantage at the point guard position?
This is as close as you can get to both teams being even at a position. Jeremy Fears Jr. is almost everything Tom Izzo wants in a point guard but USC proved the blueprint to play off Fears on offense and essentially use an extra defender to clog up the paint to prevent the Spartans from driving to the basket. Holloman, who starts but runs the point when Fears is out, is very comparable to Dylan Andrews. Andrews may not be as good of a three-point shooter as Holloman but Andrews has proven this season to be the leader of this Bruin offense. Sebastian Mack's minutes are not as high per game as they were last season but he is a very reliable backup to Andrews.
Advantage: Even
Who has the advantage at the head coaching position?
In his prime, when he was going to Final Fours almost every other year and winning a national title, Izzo would have the advantage here. However, Mick Cronin, with the exception of last season, has had success in the NCAA tournament as the head coach of the Bruins. Both coaches require their players to play solid defense and give maximum effort when on the court and both men are very vocal and show their emotions regardless of whether there is a camera on them or not. This game will feature two well-respected coaches who will do their best to put their team in position to win.
Advantage: Even
Which team has the most depth and better bench?
This on paper appears to be even, however, if you were to take the first five off of UCLA's bench and put them up against the first five of Michigan State's bench, the Spartans would have the advantage. The Bruins do have players like Lazar Stefanovic, who started most games last season, coming off the bench this year, but Michigan State has a little of everything coming off their bench, which is why they are a legit ten-deep team.