Michigan State Basketball: 3 things to watch with March Madness cancelled

WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 31: Cassius Winston #5 of the Michigan State Spartans celebrate by cutting down the net after defeating the Duke Blue Devils in the East Regional game of the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Capital One Arena on March 31, 2019 in Washington, DC. The Michigan State Spartans defeated the Duke Blue Devils with a score of 68 to 67. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /

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2. A rerun of the 2000 National Championship Game

Some of us were too young to truly remember this, but this was one of my first memories of college basketball as a kid. Michigan State made a strong run to the Final Four and earned a matchup with Florida in the title game just five years after Tom Izzo took the head coaching job after Jud Heathcote.

This was the Spartans’ second straight Final Four and it would be sandwiched between another one the following year, but this was special because it was the last run for Mateen Cleaves and Morris Peterson, among others.

Michigan State led essentially the entire way, but the panic button was smashed about four minutes into the second half when Cleaves went down with an ankle injury and left the floor.

He did return but the Spartans played tough without him for nearly five minutes.

The Spartans didn’t need him much the rest of the way as he just played game-manager and helped lead them to their first national title in 21 years. Watch this replay over and over and over, you won’t be disappointed.

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