It took until the last day of the pre-NCAA Tournament season for Michigan State to make true believers out of the selection committee and open eyes across the nation, but the Spartans’ win over Ohio State in the Big Ten Tournament title game Sunday did the trick. That win, and conference tournament losses by the four No. 1-seed favorites — Kentucky, North Carolina, Syracuse and Kansas — opened the door for the Spartans, who received the top-line nod over KU.
And the Spartans earned it.
An 0-2 start, with losses to North Carolina and Duke, had many wondering early if the Spartans were an elite team. Michigan State quietly gained chemistry and confidence through a mostly soft nonconference slate after games against the Tar Heels and Blue Devils and hit Big Ten play running.
The Spartans reeled off seven consecutive victories at one point in the conference widely regarded as the toughest in the nation this season and shared the regular-season title before marching to the Big Ten Tournament championship as well.
Michigan State is a typically rugged Tom Izzo-coached team, led by Big Ten player of the year Draymond Green, a 6-foot-7 senior forward who is averaging 16.1 points, 10.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists.
Favorite: Michigan State
There is a big challenger in second-seeded Missouri, a challenger for a No. 1 seed in its own right, but the Spartans are the favorites here. The reasons start with veteran coach Tom Izzo, who can take even an average Michigan State team deep into the NCAA Tournament. But this rugged Spartans team shines defensively. Opponents are shooting only 37.6 percent against Michigan State, which ranks 12th nationally in points against (averaging 58.7). The Spartans rank third in rebound margin and have enough firepower to put up points when they need to.
Sleeper: Marquette
Yes, this is a weird sleeper pick because the Golden Eagles are seeded third in the regional. But there isn’t a ton of buzz around Marquette, particularly after a quick exit from the Big East Tournament at the hands of Louisville last week. Still, this team is loaded. It features Big East player of the year Jae Crowder and high-scoring teammate Darius Johnson-Odom.
Upset alert
Long Beach State over New Mexico: Coach Steve Alford’s Lobos are playing their best basketball right now — but so is Long Beach State, coached by program-resurrection specialist Dan Monson. The 49ers are long and athletic, and they play defense as well as any team in the country. In nonconference games, the 49ers almost beat Kansas and North Carolina and they have victories over Auburn and Xavier, which is in the 68-team NCAA Tournament.
Bracket breakdown
We’re not saying this should be a cakewalk for Michigan State, but maybe it should be close to one. If the Spartans put their best foot forward each time out, they should have few problems navigating this regional. Missouri is a serious contender to get to the Final Four, and teams such as Marquette, Louisville and Murray State are intriguing enough to make it interesting.
