Michigan State Basketball: 5 bold predictions for 2018 NCAA Tournament

Michigan State has a difficult road ahead in the Midwest Region of the 2018 NCAA Tournament, but a national title could be on the horizon.

It’s March Madness time which means a new set of bold predictions are here. Michigan State enters the NCAA Tournament with high expectations but the skeptics stretch far and wide. This team has the talent to make a run, but the consistency is what is lacking.

Tom Izzo is known as Mr. March for a reason and he’s attempting to reach the Final Four for the eighth time as the Spartans’ head coach. He will have his work cut out for him, starting in round one against a tough Bucknell team.

Let’s take a look at five bold predictions, and they’re very bold, for the 2018 NCAA Tournament.

5. Bucknell takes Michigan State down to the wire

There’s just something about Bucknell that should worry Michigan State. The Bison are 25-9 and have won 18-of-19 games heading into the tournament. They don’t exactly scream “14-seed” but any team that makes the Big Dance is there for a reason.

The Patriot League champs are going to take the Spartans down to the wire in the opening round, making fans at Little Caesars Arena sweat it out as thoughts of Middle Tennessee dance in their heads.

Luckily, though, Tom Izzo has been saying all week that he isn’t taking the Bison lightly. He knows they are a senior-laden team with plenty of talent and a trio of solid all-conference caliber starters. They’ve played some power conference teams tough this season and round one will be no different.

The game will be back-and-forth until the final minutes when the Spartans out-talent the Bison, advancing to the round of 32 with a five-point win.