Don't underestimate what the loss of Idong Ibok means to Michigan State's second-round NCAA tournament hopes against North Carolina.

Ibok dislocated his left elbow in an ugly spill Thursday and is out for the season. He was a bit player who saw five to 10 minutes off the bench in most Big Ten games, but at 6-foot-11 and with a 7-5 wingspan he would have a valuable commodity Saturday against UNC grinder Tyler Hansbrough.

Drew Naymick, MSU's best interior defender, will open on Hansbrough, but he's fouled out of the last two games. Keeping him on the floor Saturday is imperative because neither Goran Suton nor Marquise Gray is as adept in the post, and the Jake Hannon experiment won't work like it did against Marquette.

For the most part, Naymick successfully avoided foul trouble in two games against Ohio State's Greg Oden. Hansbrough is nowhere near the physical presence Oden is, but the two are very different players. Oden has a crafty jump hook he's not afraid to use with either hand; Hansbrough seeks contact inside.

MSU has other matchup problems, too. North Carolina forward Brandan Wright, a projected top-five pick in next year's draft, is a tough guard for anyone, Raymar Morgan will have his hands full with Reyshawn Terry on the wing, and Ty Lawson gives UNC's offense that extra gear. Throw in a decided home-court advantage for the Tar Heels, who are playing just over an hour from their Chapel Hill campus, and all signs point to a second-round exit for the Spartans.