The Michigan State Spartans always have a date in the NCAA Tournament. When the brackets were announced Sunday, the Spartans were named as the No. 3 seed in the East Region, marking the 29th consecutive season that the Spartans had made it into The Big Dance.
Tom Izzo is responsible for this remarkable streak that is longer than any other team in the history of college basketball. He has preached fundamentals, toughness and fight to overcome adversity ever since he became head coach of the team in the 1995-96 season.
His teams have had varying degrees of success in the tournament, and it has only come away with the championship in 2000. That brilliant team joined the 1979 Spartans as the only other to win men's basketball national championships in the school's history. The '79 team featured the legendary Magic Johnson and it finished the season with a 26-6 record and defeated Larry Bird and Indiana State in the National Championship game. That game captured the nation's attention is often credited with propelling college basketball into the spotlight.
Spartans have seen nation's top team
This year's Spartans team brings a record of 25-7 into the tournament after finishing 15-5 in the Big Ten regular season. Unlike many of Izzo's teams, the Spartans do not come into this tournament playing their best basketball of the season. Michigan State is known for peaking as the tournament gets underway, but the Spartans lost their regular-season finale to archrival Michigan and were beaten in the Big Ten conference tournament by UCLA.
Nevertheless, this team has been steeled by a challenging schedule that featured Arkansas, Kentucky, North Carolina, and Duke as out of conference opponents. The Spartans were victorious in all of those games with the exception of a 66-60 defeat to Duke in early December.
Michigan State should be ready for a long run in the NCAA Tournament
North Dakota State is in over its head against the Spartans
Michigan State will start its tournament run against North Dakota State of the Summit League. The Bison finished the season with a record of 27-7 and won the Summitt League with a 14-2 record. There is little doubt that Izzo will be prepared for the March 19 meeting at the Key Bank Center in Buffalo. He will not take North Dakota State lightly, nor will he let his players do the same.
The Bison have balanced scoring with four players averaging in double figures. They are led by Damari Wheeler-Thomas at 14.4 points per game, Trevian Carson (12.0), Markhi Strickland (11.8) and Treyson Anderson (10.4). North Dakota State shoots 36.5 percent from beyond the arc, but they were rarely tested by their opponents. They ranked 282nd in strength of schedule and have not seen an opponent in Michigan State's class.
Spartans have depth to overcome upset-minded opponent
The Spartans are battle-tested and they are a deep team that can hurt opponents with scoring, athleticism, defense and rebounding. Guard Jeremy Fears is the team's go-to guy whenever the offense needs a lift. He is averaging 15.7 points and 9.2 assists per game. He is far from a one-man team, although he will take over at times, especially if he senses that his teammates are in an offensive lull.
Forward Jaxon Kohler may be the second-most important player on the team as he averages 12.7 points, shoots 51.0 percent from the field and is averaging 9.0 boards per game. He will pay the price to come away with any loose ball.
Coen Carr is capable of highlight-film plays on an every-game basis. The 6-6 junior averages 11.6 points and 5.4 rebounds per game while connecting on 50.6 percent of his shots. He is at his best when he can show off his remarkable finishing ability around the rim. Center Carson Cooper is averaging 10.8 points and 7.1 rebounds per game.
The Spartans may allow the Bison to stay close for a half before running away in the second.
Second-round matchup with Louisville or South Florida
Sixth-seeded Louisville will be favored over 11th-seeded South Florida, but a number of pundits are looking for the Bulls to oust the Cardinals.
If that happens, Izzo's team will be prepared to shut down the upset-minded team and play their way into the Sweet 16. South Florida won the American Conference title game, beating Wichita State by a 70-55 margin. The Bulls are led by 6-10 Izaiyah Nelson, a major force on the inside. He averages nearly 16 points and 10 rebounds this season, and it will be up to Kohler and Cooper to keep him in check.
A rematch with UCLA in the Sweet 16 could be next if the Bruins continue with their surge, but if they can't No. 2 seed UConn will be on the horizon.
If the Spartans can get past either one of those teams, they will face their key matchup in the regional finals. That's where they would almost certainly meet the top-seeded Duke Blue Devils, coached by Jon Scheyer.
Even though the Spartans lost to the Blue Devils in December, that was a 1- or 2-point game most of the way until Duke closed out Michigan State by 6. If Michigan State can avoid late fouls while turning up their defense down the stretch, they will have an excellent chance to pull off the upset.
That would punch their ticket to the Final Four where a meeting with Florida would loom in the national semifinal and then a national championship game against Michigan or Arizona.
Either one would delight Spartans fans, but nothing would be nicer than winning the school's third national title against the hated Wolverines.
