Tom Izzo and Michigan State are gearing up for yet another NCAA Tournament run. The Spartans haven’t missed the tourney in about three decades, and they haven’t won the national title since 2000. Could this be the year that changes?
Izzo is hunting for No. 2, and while most people believe that next year’s team will have a better chance, the Spartans have the pieces to make a run.
Michigan State can hang with just about anyone in college basketball, Michigan and Duke included, but here are the three teams that we have to hope the Spartans avoid in the East Region for a favorable Final Four run.
1. Duke
This is the most obvious pick of the entire region and it’s because Duke already beat Michigan State once this year in East Lansing and the Blue Devils have the best player in college basketball. Cameron Boozer is the nation’s top player and he plays on the country’s best team, but Duke is down two key players entering the tourney — that didn’t seem to matter in the ACC Tournament, however.
Duke has dominated just about everyone this season, but Michigan State had a chance to beat the Blue Devils but coughed up a late lead in. East Lansing.
Seeing the Blue Devils wouldn’t be ideal, but it wouldn’t happen until the Elite Eight. Hm, a “loaded” Duke team facing an underdog Michigan State team with an elite point guard in the Elite Eight? Sounds familiar. Would be a shame if that underdog Spartan team ruined Duke’s season again.
2. UConn
Michigan State also faced UConn this season, but this matchup isn’t nearly as known because it happened all the way back in October in an exhibition game. The game didn’t count for anything, but UConn got the better of the Spartans, winning by seven.
Both teams are much different now, but UConn is still led by one of the best coaches in the country and the Huskies are one of the most dangerous March teams under his control.
UConn has won two of the last three national titles, so that’s reason enough to want to avoid them.
3. St. John’s
There may not be a hotter team in college basketball right now than St. John’s, and that’s flying under the radar. The Red Storm are 19-1 since losing to Providence a few months ago. That loss seemed to have ignited a fire under Rick Pitino’s team — oh yeah, and he’s one of the best coaches to ever do it.
While I’d rather see St. John’s than UConn, the Red Storm beat the Huskies twice this season, including in the Big East title game by 20.
Facing a Pitino-coached team in March for a second straight season would not be great. I would honestly rather Michigan State see Kansas in the Elite Eight.