When it comes to Michigan State basketball, only March matters.
Tom Izzo’s program has supplanted Indiana as the brand name traditional power of the Big Ten. Therefore, the Spartans usually carry the flag for the league once the NCAA Tournament starts. In East Lansing, it’s simply when the real season begins.
The second weekend of the NCAA Tournament is just a natural part of the Michigan State basketball schedule.
Since 2004, Michigan St. has reached the round of 16 every year but three (’06, ’07, ’11) Not even Duke, Kansas and Kentucky can match that. So that’s why Michigan State basketball seasons are defined by the first couple weekends of the NCAA Tournament.
In our latest bracketology, we have the Spartans as a #10 seed, but plenty of
However, another loss or two and MSU is right on that #12 seed/play-in game bubble.
SIGNATURE WINS: just two top 40 RPI wins: Indiana (currently 31), and at Iowa (38). That’s State’s two best wins. All figures according to RealTimeRPI
BAD LOSSES: Texas Southern RPI 164. That game is to the Michigan State basketball tourney profile what a eating a donut is to your stomach. It just sits there like a rock forever; holding you back and dragging you down. The Nebraska loss was bad too (RPI 101)
RPI: 53
SOS: 45 Again- there’s the Izzo scheduling magic at work.
POTENTIAL FUTURE SIGNATURE WINS: They visit the Kohl Center on March 1st. Badgers have an RPI of 8. Of course, Michigan State basketball vs. Bo Ryan has not been a match-up that’s been very kind to the Spartans lately.
Believe it or not, Illinois has a RPI of 48! MSU visits Champaign on February 22nd. This Michigan State basketball team embodies the idea of “having one weakness.” You know what it is. It’s pretty obvious. They are 2008 Memphis bad when it comes to foul shooting. If they were an average free throw shooting side, they would likely only have four or five losses right now.
If MSU was above average at the charity stripe, they would have three or fewer losses. Izzo devoted more than half of his press conference Monday to talking about how it’s the worst free throw shooting team in Michigan State basketball history. Or thereabouts.
He was 100% justified in doing so.
POTENTIAL BAD LOSSES: tonight at Northwestern; a loss here would send the Spartans down to “first four out”/last four in” territory. They really need to win those home games against Purdue and Minnesota too. Those could be critical down the stretch.
Michigan State basketball has made the NCAA Tournament 17 years straight.
“(The streak) means everything, especially with what our goals are,” Spartans point guard Travis Trice said.
“Not being in the tournament would definitely change that. We definitely need to get in, and I don’t want to be a part of that class that was the first one not to make it.”
PROJECTED FINISH: 19-12, 10-8 in conference, according to GAMER. In a watered down Big Ten, the record looks like a bubble team. State has performed like a bubble team most of this season.
And as you might have heard once or twice, they have some issues shooting free throws.
Paul M. Banks owns, operates and writes The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with Fox Sports Digital, eBay, Google News and CBS Interactive Inc.
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