For the 27th straight year, Michigan State basketball has earned a trip to the NCAA Tournament. Outside of the COVID season when it was canceled, Michigan State has partook in every NCAA Tournament since 1996-97. Just an incredible run for Tom Izzo.
With these 27 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, that means that the Spartans have earned seeds anywhere from No. 1 all the way to No. 11. They have experienced the highest of highs (a national title) and the lowest of lows (Middle Tennessee). It's been an eventful past few decades for the Spartans and that continues this week.
Michigan State has earned many 2-seeds before, including last in 2018-19 when the Spartans made a Final Four after beating a loaded Duke team. Unfortunately, that team was defeated in the Final Four by Texas Tech and that Matt McQuaid missed open 3-point still haunts most of us.
Moving on.
I got to thinking, how has Michigan State fared all time as a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament? Let's take a look.
How Michigan State basketball has fared as a 2-seed all time
Before this year, Michigan State has earned a 2-seed in the NCAA Tournament four times before. If you're wondering if that's the most common seed for Michigan State, it's not. That would be the 7-seed which the Spartans have earned six times followed by the 1-seed which has happened five times -- the 2-seed is now tied with the 1-seed.
How has Michigan State done in the past as a 2-seed? Mostly great.
1979: Won the national championship
2009: Lost in the national title game to North Carolina
2016: Lost in the first round to Middle Tennessee
2019: Lost in the Final Four to Texas Tech
2025: TBD
As you can see, Michigan State has been to the Final Four (at least) in three out of the four times that it's earned the 2-seed, losing its only pre-Final Four game in 2016 thanks to a historically-hot shooting day by Middle Tennessee.
If Michigan State makes it past the first round as a 2-seed, it has made the Final Four 100 percent of the time. Time to make a run.