Auburn is the highest overall seed in the NCAA Tournament, but they are certainly not guaranteed a Final Four berth by any stretch. Michigan State is the #2 seed in their bracket, the South Regional of the NCAA Tournament.
Getting the Spartans is not a reward for them, as that could ultimately prove to be one epic regional final.
Michigan State coach Tom Izzo likes to tell his team: you get me past the first game on the tourney weekend, then I’ll get you past the second one.
Under Izzo, State is 23-8 in the second game of a NCAA Tournament weekend. It’s part of why they say “January. February. Izzo.” Michigan State, in the Izzo era, is known for performing well as the underdog too. According to RG, His 15 wins as the lower-seeded team (and hence the underdog) are the most in NCAA Tournament history. Even more impressive is Izzo’s 15-11 career record as a lower seed.
It’s all part of the math that comprises the Iron Mountain, MI native record in the tourney of 56-25. This is why they are a trendy pick to knock out Auburn and reach the Final Four in San Antonio.
And if happens, this would be just be history repeating, as every player who stayed all four years at Michigan St. from 1999-2015 went to at least one Final Four.
However, it is a multiple step journey, and it begins Friday night in Cleveland, when they battle the #15 seed Bryant Bulldogs at 10pm EST on TBS.
This should be a cake walk, but then again….remember 2016? #2 seed Michigan State was knocked out by #15 seed Middle Tennessee State in what was then considered the greatest March Madness upset of all-time.
Neither of the two #16s over #1s had happened yet.
In the next round State would get the winner of #7 seed Marquette vs #10 seed New Mexico. We think it’ll be Marquette, and that actually bodes well for Izzo and company.
Michigan State just knocked Marquette out of the tournament as a #7 upsetting a #2, in this same round, only two years ago.
MSU was the only Big Ten team to reach the second weekend that year.
Of course, there is still one more round to go, in order to get the opportunity to face Auburn; provided the Tigers themselves get there. We’ll look at those possibilities, if/when we get there next week.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.