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Michigan State Basketball: My top 4 favorite March memories

By Scott Tolonen

WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 31: Head coach Tom Izzo of the Michigan State Spartans celebrates winning the the East Regional game of the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament against the Duke Blue Devils at Capital One Arena on March 29, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 31: Head coach Tom Izzo of the Michigan State Spartans celebrates winning the the East Regional game of the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament against the Duke Blue Devils at Capital One Arena on March 29, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) /
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CHICAGO, IL – NOVEMBER 14: Head coach Tom Izzo (L) of the Michigan State Spartans talks with head coach Mike Krzyzewski of the Duke Blue Devils prior to their game during the Champions Classic at United Center on November 14, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images)
CHICAGO, IL – NOVEMBER 14: Head coach Tom Izzo (L) of the Michigan State Spartans talks with head coach Mike Krzyzewski of the Duke Blue Devils prior to their game during the Champions Classic at United Center on November 14, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images) /

2. Michigan State 68, Duke 67 (2019)

The NCAA only let Spartan Nation celebrate its third consecutive win over Michigan and Big Ten Tournament title for a quick 15 minutes before they revealed everyone’s worst nightmare: The 2-seed in Duke’s region. We all let out a collective, “Please, any other team,” as our hopes for an eighth Final Four seemed to be crushed by having to go against what many call, “Duke’s best team ever.” Tom Izzo can barely beat a meddling Duke team, let alone one with three top-10 NBA draft picks.

I tried by best to soak in the first three games of the Spartans tournament run, knowing it would be a tall task to make a Final Four. But for 2.5 hours on that fateful March day, the Spartans didn’t back down, even in the face of a 12-0 Duke run. Even in the face of Duke being up three with 90 seconds left.

Matt McQuaid’s circus shots, Cassius Winston’s floaters, and Xavier Tillman’s thunderous and-one? All memorable, but Kenny Goins made sure he would never have to pay for a drink in East Lansing for the rest of his days. I think about that go ahead 3-pointer damn near every day. I think of the secret sign Tillman gives Cassius to go right off the sideline inbound damn near every day.

Historians will look back at Coach K’s career and wonder what happened to that Zion Williamson team, and in the record book will be a picture of Izzo cutting the nets. National titles notwithstanding, it was the greatest NCAA tournament win in Michigan State history.

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