Michigan State basketball: 3 bold predictions vs. No. 2 Marquette

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Michigan State Spartans head coach Tom Izzo about playing against the Marquette Golden Eagles in the second round of the NCAA tournament at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, on Saturday, March 18, 2023.Msupress 031823 Kd240 /

1. MSU makes its first Sweet 16 in four years

While a lot of programs would kill for the kind of success Michigan State has had over the past few years, the Spartans still haven’t made a Sweet 16 since 2019. That almost feels like a typo, but the 2020 NCAA Tournament was canceled, 2021 was a First Four exit, and 2022 was a second-round exit at the hands of Duke.

Michigan State is due. Tom Izzo is due.

There’s a reason Izzo is considered one of the best coaches in college basketball and a Hall of Famer and it’s because he’s won games like these as the underdog. He’s won when no one really gave him a chance.

This year’s team has shown it can play with anyone in the country and it can beat just about anyone, but its inconsistency has been the main issue.

On Sunday night, we’ll see a locked-in Michigan State basketball team.

The Spartans will take down Shaka Smart and the Golden Eagles to finally advance to a Sweet 16, ending that drought.

Next. 5 bold predictions for MSU basketball in March. dark

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