It’s almost here…one of the best sports months of the year is upon us. So why don’t we start looking ahead and see where our Spartans will land when March Madness officially arrives?
The Michigan State basketball team is having another strong season, with the Spartans currently ranked in the top 10 nationally heading into February. The Spartans are 19-3 overall and 9-2 in the Big Ten, and some believe they’re a lock to dance again this March. The question now really becomes how do they end the season, and where will they land when Selection Sunday rolls around on March 15?
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Bracketology has become an annual thing, but when we did it later in the season, it really started to make a difference. As February begins, loose predictions are becoming clearer about which teams could be the No. 1 seed or team in the bubble come November. With that being said, let’s do a quick recap of some notable bracketology posts from the past few days and see where our Spartans currently stand at the start of February.
USA TODAY Sports
Seed/Region: No. 3 seed in West Region
First round opponents: No. 14 seed North Dakota State in Greenville, S.C.
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My thoughts: I like the Spartans’ overall draw. The seeding line seems to fit their current standings, and it seems like a viable path to the Elite Eight (North Dakota State, sixth-seeded Louisville, then second-seeded Gonzaga) before a potential game against No. 1 Arizona State.
Click here to view the full bracket projection
ESPN
Seed/Region: No. 3 seed in West Region
First round opponents: No. 14 seed Wright State University, Buffalo, N.Y.
My thoughts: This is consistent with USA TODAY Sports’ previous bracket predictions, which could face sixth-seeded Louisville in the second round and second-seeded Gonzaga in the Sweet Sixteen. The main difference is Buffalo vs. Greenville – so I guess if you’re traveling as a fan, it’s better to go south than north in March…
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Click here to view the full bracket projection
68 games(On3)
Seed/Region: No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference
First round opponents: No. 14 seed East Tennessee State
My thoughts: I see a trend here, with MSU now being ranked as a No. 3 seed by just about everyone in bracketology. The notable difference in this bracket projection, though, is that Michigan State lands in the East Region, which could mean a potential rematch with Duke in the Elite Eight if things change that way. I wouldn’t mind taking on the Blue Devils again and maybe making the Final Four.
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NCAA.com (Andy Katz)
Seed/Region: No. 3 seed in South China Division
First round opponents: No. 14 seed UC Irvine (Buffalo, N.Y.)
My thoughts: When you look ahead to the second weekend, this is probably my least favorite Spartan draw. If all goes as planned, MSU will face second-seeded Houston in a Sweet 16 matchup in Houston — which is not ideal at all and very similar to having to play Auburn in Atlanta in the Elite Eight last year.
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fox sports
Seed/Region: No. 3 seed in West Region
First round opponents: No. 14 seed Harvard
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My thoughts: When you look ahead to potential second round and Sweet 16 matchups, this is another draw I like. If all goes as planned, MSU will face sixth-seeded St. John’s and second-seeded Gonzaga in the Elite Eight, and could face No. 1 Arizona. March games won’t be easy, but I expect the Spartans to draw this draw.
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cbs sports
Seed/Region: No. 3 seed in South China Division
First round opponents: No. 14 seed East Tennessee State
My thoughts: This will be an interesting draw for the Spartans as the chalk will give them two rematches. First came the sixth-seeded University of Kentucky in the second round, then the second-seeded University of Illinois in the Sweet Sixteen. We’ll see how the Spartans fare against the Fighting Illini this weekend, but I personally don’t like a rematch in the NCAA tournament — especially if it’s a team you already beat earlier in the year.
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Click here to view full bracket projection
general idea
It’s clear that if Selection Sunday were held today, Michigan State would be the No. 3 seed in the NCAA tournament. That’s exactly where I placed them, so I don’t have any beef with these predictions.
Going forward, MSU still has a lot of high-level games on its schedule in February and March, so there will be an opportunity to move up (or down) the seeding line by one or two spots. But assuming they don’t struggle down the stretch, we think the Spartans are most likely to land anywhere between the No. 2 seed to the No. 5 seed — and if they do do some damage late in the season, then they have a chance to be the No. 1 seed. This will give the Spartans another chance to play in March of the upcoming season.
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This article originally appeared on Spartans Wire: ‘Bracketology’ roundup: Analyzing where Michigan State basketball stands in latest bracket predictions
