It's a March Madness “Battle of the Blue Bloods” for two programs that had no expectation of playing in the First Four when the season began. Michigan State and UCLA are two of the most successful programs of all time. Tom Izzo and Mick Cronin will have to fight tooth and nail to prove that their teams deserve to be among the 64 teams with a chance at a national championship.

Michigan State fans might know that the Bruins started the season with a blistering 12-2 record and climbed as high as 21st in the AP rankings before crashing down to Earth. Mick Cronin's team has the luxury of blaming youth and inexperience for inconsistency in what has been the wildest year in the history of college athletics. The 2021 Bruins roster a lone senior, the 6'9″ G/F Chris Smith.

The Michigan State Spartans faced a more arduous path to the First Four. Starting the season slotted as the #13 team in the nation, expectations were much higher for Sparty than the Bruins. With a couple signature wins over Notre Dame and then-6th ranked Duke, it appeared Tom Izzo's side was in for another shot at the Big Ten title.

Instead, injuries and inconsistent point guard play weighed down Michigan State, which finished the season in the middle of the pack in what many consider to be the strongest conference in college basketball.

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Michigan State ended under .500 in conference play and a meager 15-12 overall. The strength of the Big Ten and a last gasp win against powerhouse Michigan put them in the field.

In what is by far the highest-profile matchup of the First Four, both Michigan State and UCLA will look to remind the college basketball world how they earned the title of “Blue Blood.” UCLA has the national titles, but Michigan State has the March reputation. Let the battle begin.