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The official NCAA Tournament bracket will be released on Sunday night, but the pieces are coming together to complete what that puzzle is going to look like.
With Michigan State losing to UCLA on Friday night, the Spartans' resume for the NCAA Tournament is complete. The Spartans finished the season with a 25-7 overall record and in position to get a top seed in the big dance. So the question is now is a matter of what seed will they receive, which region will they end up in and where will they playing next weekend. Well, I have some thoughts on all three of those items!
From scouring the many bracketology posts and updates today, here are the three notable takeaways I have found when it comes to the Spartans draw in the NCAA Tournament...
Despite losing their Big Ten Tournament opener to UCLA on Friday night, the Spartans are still widely considered a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament. It just might not be considered a lock anymore.
Michigan State benefited from a number of other teams in contention for a No. 2 seed losing on Friday. That included Illinois, Iowa State, Nebraska and Alabama. So their spot on the Bracket Matrix didn't change, with Michigan State still safely listed as a No. 2 seed.
The one team still playing that could change that, though, is Purdue. The Boilermakers are currently projected as a No. 3 seed by most bracketologists, but we could see them move up and bounce the Spartans down to the No. 3 seed if they were to win another game or two in the Big Ten Tournament.
Nothing is considered a lock at this time, but it seems awfully certain that Michigan State will be heading to Buffalo next weekend for their first and (hopefully) second round games.
Most of the updated projections I've seen today have Michigan State playing in Buffalo next week, which has been the common projection for a few weeks now too. If the Spartans land in the Buffalo pod, they'll be playing on Thursday in the first round and Saturday if they were to advance to the second round.
I'd hold off on booking your flights and hotels in Buffalo until the official bracket is released. But if you plan on traveling to watch Michigan State next week, you should start doing your research on Buffalo.
It doesn't seem as certain as the Buffalo opening weekend draw, but the Spartans are popping up in the West Region more often than not in the latest bracket projections. That would mean Michigan State would be paired up with No. 1 seed Arizona, and if they reach the second weekend, then they'd be going out to San Jose, Calif.
The West Region will have its Sweet 16 games played on Thursday, March 26 and Elite Eight game on Saturday, March 28. We have a long ways to go before we think about the Sweet 16 or Elite Eight, but just good to know for potential planning purposes.
So if you add up all of those thoughts, the bracketologists like Michigan State to land as the No. 2 seed in the West Region with opening weekend game(s) in Buffalo. If it plays out that way, Michigan State would be playing Thursday / Saturday games for both weekends of the NCAA Tournament if they were to advance.
This is, of course, a fluid process and may change before we get the official bracket on Sunday evening. Until then, here's how things are shaping up to be for our Spartans, with the madness right around the corner.
Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan State news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Robert Bondy on X @RobertBondy5.
This article originally appeared on Spartans Wire: Bracket Forecast: Three insights on MSU's potential draw for NCAA Tournament
Continue reading...
With Michigan State losing to UCLA on Friday night, the Spartans' resume for the NCAA Tournament is complete. The Spartans finished the season with a 25-7 overall record and in position to get a top seed in the big dance. So the question is now is a matter of what seed will they receive, which region will they end up in and where will they playing next weekend. Well, I have some thoughts on all three of those items!
From scouring the many bracketology posts and updates today, here are the three notable takeaways I have found when it comes to the Spartans draw in the NCAA Tournament...
Spartans still looking good for a No. 2 seed
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Despite losing their Big Ten Tournament opener to UCLA on Friday night, the Spartans are still widely considered a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament. It just might not be considered a lock anymore.
Michigan State benefited from a number of other teams in contention for a No. 2 seed losing on Friday. That included Illinois, Iowa State, Nebraska and Alabama. So their spot on the Bracket Matrix didn't change, with Michigan State still safely listed as a No. 2 seed.
The one team still playing that could change that, though, is Purdue. The Boilermakers are currently projected as a No. 3 seed by most bracketologists, but we could see them move up and bounce the Spartans down to the No. 3 seed if they were to win another game or two in the Big Ten Tournament.
Opening weekend in Buffalo in line for Spartans
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Nothing is considered a lock at this time, but it seems awfully certain that Michigan State will be heading to Buffalo next weekend for their first and (hopefully) second round games.
Most of the updated projections I've seen today have Michigan State playing in Buffalo next week, which has been the common projection for a few weeks now too. If the Spartans land in the Buffalo pod, they'll be playing on Thursday in the first round and Saturday if they were to advance to the second round.
I'd hold off on booking your flights and hotels in Buffalo until the official bracket is released. But if you plan on traveling to watch Michigan State next week, you should start doing your research on Buffalo.
West Region is common pick for Michigan State
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It doesn't seem as certain as the Buffalo opening weekend draw, but the Spartans are popping up in the West Region more often than not in the latest bracket projections. That would mean Michigan State would be paired up with No. 1 seed Arizona, and if they reach the second weekend, then they'd be going out to San Jose, Calif.
The West Region will have its Sweet 16 games played on Thursday, March 26 and Elite Eight game on Saturday, March 28. We have a long ways to go before we think about the Sweet 16 or Elite Eight, but just good to know for potential planning purposes.
Final Thoughts
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So if you add up all of those thoughts, the bracketologists like Michigan State to land as the No. 2 seed in the West Region with opening weekend game(s) in Buffalo. If it plays out that way, Michigan State would be playing Thursday / Saturday games for both weekends of the NCAA Tournament if they were to advance.
This is, of course, a fluid process and may change before we get the official bracket on Sunday evening. Until then, here's how things are shaping up to be for our Spartans, with the madness right around the corner.
Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan State news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Robert Bondy on X @RobertBondy5.
This article originally appeared on Spartans Wire: Bracket Forecast: Three insights on MSU's potential draw for NCAA Tournament
Continue reading...
