MAUI, Hawai'i – After a long travel day on Friday, the Virginia Tech men's basketball is getting acquainted with the likes of Hawai'i in preparation for the Maui Jim Maui Invitational.
The tournament will kick off on Monday for the Hokies (5-0, 1-0 ACC) when they take on No. 3/3 Michigan State (3-1) at 5 p.m. ET at the Lahaina Civic Center. The Spartans lead the all-time series 1-0, defeating Tech 96-77 at the Barclays Center in 2013.
The contest will be broadcast on ESPN2, with Dan Shulman (play-by-play) and Jay Bilas (analyst) on the call, while Jon Laaser (play-by-play) and Mike Burnop (analyst) will broadcast on Virginia Tech Sports Properties.
But before then, Tech will take in the beauty of the island with some festivities awaiting them from ziplining to the players' party consisting of cornhole and some Hula dancing competitions over the next couple of days.
GAME INFORMATION
Mon. | 5 p.m. ET vs. No. 3/3 Michigan State | Stats | Watch | Radio | Notes
The last time out, Tech extended its home nonconference winning streak to 28 games after its 36-point victory over Delaware State in Cassell Coliseum. And it was a special night in Cassell, as the Hokies hit a school- and ACC-record 21 3-pointers thanks to three players owning five triples to their names.
Tech has been on one from downtown as of late, combing for 48 3-pointers its last three games while getting it done on a 47.5 3-point field-goal percentage. Defensively, the Hokies are one of only nine high-major teams to hold their opponent to under 65 points through five or more games.
Individually, guard Wabissa Bede is 14th nationally in assist/turnover ratio, which is good for first in the ACC. The junior has 40 assists compared to eight turnovers. Redshirt freshman Landers Nolley ranks fourth in the ACC in scoring, owning 20.2 points per game.
SCOUTING No. 3/3 MICHIGAN STATE
• The Spartans are coming off a 48-point win over Charleston Southern (1-4) on Monday at home at the Breslin Center. In the 94-46 victory, Xavier Tillman played his best game yet in the green and white, posting a career-high 21 points and 10 rebounds for his sixth career double-double.
• Head coach Tom Izzo enters his 25th season in East Lansing, following a four-year stint at Northern Michigan from 1979-83. With the Spartans, Izzo has amassed over 600 victories and won the 2000 national championship – a big reason why he is in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
• The Spartans are paced by reigning Big Ten Player of the Year Cassius Winston, who is off to a fine start with averaging 17.5 points and 7.0 assists per game. Tillman is close to averaging a double-double thus far, owning 12.0 points and 9.5 rebounds per game.
• According to KenPom, Michigan State has the No. 1 offense and No. 5 defense in the nation. A big reason why is how they share the rock, ranking third overall in assists per game with 21.3, and control the glass, sitting 34th and third in the Big Ten for rebounds per game with 43.0.
