Michigan State Basketball: 5 bold predictions for March 2019

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ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN – FEBRUARY 24: Cassius Winston #5 of the Michigan State Spartans celebrates a second half play with Xavier Tillman #23 while playing the Michigan Wolverines at Crisler Arena on February 24, 2019 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Michigan State won the game 77-70. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /

1. Michigan State makes run to Elite Eight

This team has what it takes to make a run in the NCAA Tournament, especially if it earns a 2-seed. There’s no doubt that the injury to Josh Langford hurt the national title outlook, but Nick Ward should almost surely be back by the NCAA Tournament, if not the Big Ten tourney — although I’m predicting by Saturday against Michigan.

Getting Ward back will help the post game as it has been nearly non-existent outside of some screen-and-slips to Thomas Kithier, Kenny Goins and Xavier Tillman.

With a solid post game behind Ward and Tillman and a facilitator like Goins at the top of the key and an all-everything point guard like Cassius Winston with a lockdown defender and lights-out shooter in Matt McQuaid, this team will be tough to beat.

If the Spartans win out in the regular season and make it to the Big Ten Tournament final like I’m predicting, they almost have a 2-seed locked up.

That will mean a favorable first and second-round matchup and a third-round game that could be tough, but Michigan State will come out on top to make its first Elite Eight since 2014-15.

Next. MSU basketball's Big Ten title hopes dashed at Indiana?. dark

Michigan State will come just one or two big shots down the stretch shy of making the Final Four with a tough loss against a red-hot 3-seed such as Houston or Texas Tech.

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