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3 teams Michigan State basketball won’t want to see in 2023 NCAA Tournament’s first round

By Connor Muldowney

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - MARCH 10: Tyson Walker #2 of the Michigan State Spartans dribbles the ball against Sean McNeil #4 of the Ohio State Buckeyes during the first half of a Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament Quarterfinals game at United Center on March 10, 2023 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images)
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - MARCH 10: Tyson Walker #2 of the Michigan State Spartans dribbles the ball against Sean McNeil #4 of the Ohio State Buckeyes during the first half of a Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament Quarterfinals game at United Center on March 10, 2023 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images) /
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Selection Sunday is almost here and Michigan State basketball will be patiently waiting to see where it’ll be seeded and who will be its first-round matchup.

There are a number of potential spots the Spartans could land anywhere from a No. 7 to a No. 8 seed and some bracketologists even had them as a 9-seed. The 7-seed is most likely and there are some tough 10-seeds that the Spartans could see.

Which 9/10/11 seeds do I really hope Michigan State can avoid in round one?

3. West Virginia (projected 9-seed)

If Michigan State slides down to the 8-line, I could see a matchup with a 9-seed like West Virginia, and let me just say that I hope that doesn’t happen.

I could also see Arkansas as a potential 9-seed matchup with the Spartans, but again, I also don’t like that matchup. The Razorbacks are much better than their record shows this season and Eric Musselman is one of the best coaches in the nation.

But back to West Virginia, the Mountaineers played some of their best basketball near the end of the season. They had a really rough start to Big 12 play, losing six of their first seven games in conference and then they got hot, winning four of their next five. They finished just 7-11 in Big 12 play, but they were 19-14 overall and won tough games in the final stretch of the season against Iowa State, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, and Kansas State to lock in a tourney bid.

West Virginia has a solid offense, averaging 76.3 points per game and they played in the best conference in the country this season and held their own. And their top two players are serious 3-point threats.

I would not want this matchup.

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