In our latest, most up-to-date NCAA Tournament bracket projection, (or college basketball “bracketology” if you will, we have the Michigan State Spartans as a #11 seed.
Although the chances of them falling into that final #12 seed line (and perhaps playing within that “First Four”) are still high, even with their 66-61 narrow escape over the Iowa Hawkeyes in the first round of Big Ten Tournament. It was game the Hawkeyes lost more than the Spartans won.
However, their chances of falling off the bubble and into the NIT are quite low at this point. A win tomorrow over the #2 seed Purdue Boilermakers assures their place as the sixth Big Ten team in the NCAA Tournament.
By Paul M. Banks
The Spartans overcame an off shooting night from their star Kalin Lucas (3-11, 0-4 from three) and an ugly 29% from distance, 41% for the game to stay alive.
“It wasn’t a pretty game, no question about that, but its about survive and advance and that’s kind of the way it is,” Michigan State Coach Tom Izzo said.
In their two meetings with Purdue this season, the Spartans have been outscored by 30. And now they’ll face the Boilers in a “neutral site” about a 50 minute drive from Purdue’s campus.
“We’ll enjoy this one, until we hit the film room to get ready for Purdue, but you got to enjoy this one a little bit,” Draymond Green (the game’s leading scorer with 21 points) said about tomorrow’s huge game.
“We haven’t forgotten about that, and we need to come out and redeem ourselves,” Green said about getting revenge.
Luckily for State, no bids have been stolen, and no conference tournament brackets have been busted so far.
For more on the Spartans bubble situation go here
For more on who State is on the bubble with, who is competing for their bid go here
Written by Paul M. Banks, President and CEO of The Sports Bank.net, a Midwest webzine. He’s also a regular contributor to Chicago Now, the Tribune’s blog network, Walter Football, Yardbarker Network, and Fox Sports
He does a weekly radio segment on Chicagoland Sports Radio.com and Cleveland.com
You can follow him on Twitter @thesportsbank