FACTS & STATS: Site: Ford Field (78,000) -- Detroit, Michigan. Television: ESPN. Home Record: N. Carolina 3-0, Michigan St. 1-0. Away Record: N. Carolina 1-0, Michigan St. 1-0. Neutral Record: N. Carolina 3-0, Michigan St. 2-1. Conference Record: N. Carolina 0-0, Michigan St. 0-0. Series Record: North Carolina leads, 7-3.

GAME NOTES: One of the premier matchups of the early season takes place in Detroit this evening, as the top-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels meet up with the 13th-ranked Michigan State Spartans as part of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.

Roy Williams' Tar Heels have certainly looked worthy of their lofty ranking, having won all seven of their games thus far, despite missing National Player of the Year Tyler Hansbrough for several games. The team was without its star forward last time out, but he wasn't needed in a 116-48 thrashing of UNC- Asheville. The margin of victory was the largest for UNC in the Williams' era.

Michigan State has won two straight games since suffering its only loss of the season (80-62 against Maryland). Since then, Tom Izzo's team has responded with wins over Oklahoma State (94-79) and Wichita State (65-57) to close out play in the Old Spice Classic in Orlando last weekend.

This is the 11th all-time meeting between these two teams on the hardwood, with North Carolina holding a 7-3 series advantage. However, the Tar Heels are 0-2 against the Spartans in this event.

Hansbrough was held out of the UNC-Asheville game for precautionary reasons, as the long trip to the South Pacific and a couple of physical games for Hansbrough, made it necessary to keep him on the bench against the obviously undermanned Bulldogs. The decision was certainly a correct one, as UNC shot a sizzling 57.1 percent from the floor overall, including 51.9 percent from behind the arc (14-of-27) en route to the lopsided win. Ty Lawson led the way with 22 points and eight assists. All four of the other starters scored in double figures as well, with Danny Green netting 18 points, followed by Deon Thompson (17 pts), Ed Davis (13 pts) and Wayne Ellington (13 pts). Davis, a freshman, recorded a double-double in the win with 10 rebounds. Hansbrough is the leader of this team and despite having played in just three games thus far, is averaging 21.0 ppg. Lawson has been ultra-productive at the point, averaging 16.0 ppg, while doling out 6.4 apg. Thompson is next in the scoring column at 15.6 ppg, while pacing the team in rebounding (8.0 rpg). Green and Ellington finish off the top scoring threats at 14.6 and 13.4 ppg, respectively.

The Spartans will not shy away from running with the Tar Heels, as they have proven to be a strong offensive team, averaging almost 80 points per game thus far, on nearly 50 percent shooting (.496). The scoring depth however, is not as vast as UNC's, with Raymar Morgan (17.0 ppg) and Kalin Lucas (11.6 ppg) representing the only double-digit averages on the MSU roster. Still, there are three players averaging eight or more points per game in Chris Allen (8.4 ppg), Durrell Summers (8.4 ppg) and Travis Walton (8.0 ppg). The Spartans have shown the ability to win games at both ends of the floor this year. After netting 94 points in a shootout victory over Oklahoma State last Friday, the team posted a 65-47 decision over Wichita State, with the 47 points allowed, being a season-low for the Spartans. MSU, which trailed by four points at the half against the Shockers, connected on 54.2 percent from the floor in the final 20 minutes to earn the victory. Marquise Gray led the way for the Spartans with 12 points and eight rebounds. Summers added 11 points and six boards, while Lucas chipped in with 10 points and five assists. The Spartans abused Wichita State on the glass (42-24), forcing the Shockers into 15 turnovers and holding their foe to a mere 38.0 percent shooting performance.

The Spartans will try to limit the Tar Heels offensively and that is really the only way MSU stays in this game. With a rested Hansbrough however, that task won't be easy. If UNC gets off to a fast start, the Heels should be able to post a comfortable win.

Predicted Outcome

North Carolina 78, Michigan State 66