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Oklahoma State-North Carolina Maui Invitational Preview

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The Cowboys rode the hot hand of Jawun Evans in their Maui Invitational opener on Monday to knock off an injury-depleted UConn team. On Tuesday, the competition will be considerably more challenging. They face No. 4 North Carolina in Maui this evening — you know, that team that was a second away from winning the national championship?

Here’s some key matchups and plays to watch in tonight’s contest.

Players to watch

At the point, Joel Berry II runs the show and makes things go for Roy Williams’ squad. He’s a slashing point guard who OSU will need to contain — he makes plays and is a threat with the ball in his hands.

Down low, Oklahoma State is severely outmanned. Kennedy Meeks is a big-bodied senior who could present some issues defensively for OSU. Offensively, though, they should be able to go small — perhaps putting Leyton Hammonds at the 5 — and draw him out of the lane to attack the rim with pick-and-roll action at the top of the key. He’s a good rim protector, but he’s not agile enough to keep up if OSU goes small.

Matchup to watch

The way Jawun Evans lead the Cowboys over UConn in the opener, Roy Williams will have a strategy to try and limit his productivity. That plan is Joel Berry II. The Tarheels finally let Marcus Paige’s eligibility expire after a decade, and Berry is the heir apparent to the throne. He’s a long, active defender who presents a tough challenge for the OSU backcourt. Jawun Evans will face his most challenging and talented opponent of his career.

I’m more intrigued to see how the OSU bigs will handle North Carolina’s big men defensively. They have four key players who are taller than 6-foot-8 who can all score it down low. Oklahoma State’s versatility to defend the backcourt and force turnovers will again be key if they want a shot at an upset.

Summary

North Carolina will probably be the most talented team OSU faces all season. The Tarheels present some major matchup issues down low, and even at the wing. For a second straight game, I’m not 100 percent sure how effective Phil Forte can be with North Carolina’s length. They have an elite perimeter defender in Justin Jackson, who is a 6-foot-8 guard, and a 6-foot-6 wing in Theo Penson — both who present challenges for OSU’s wings defensively. As with the game against UConn, OSU will need to create turnovers and dictate the pace, which will be a much tougher challenge than it sounds. If it turns into a run-and-gun contest, I don’t think it favors Underwood’s squad. North Carolina has too many athletes to get into a track meet.

Viewing information

Time: 9:30 p.m.

TV: ESPN

Streaming: WatchESPN

Predictions
  • Carson: North Carolina 100, OSU 99
  • Porter: North Carolina 99, OSU 88
  • Cox: North Carolina 92, OSU 87
  • Thomas: North Carolina 92, OSU 84
  • Boone: North Carolina 82, OSU 69
  • Sam: North Carolina 85, OSU 72
  • Caleb: OSU 95, North Carolina 92

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