That huge sigh of relief basketball fans heard Sunday evening emanated from East Lansing, Michigan when Tom Izzo and his Michigan State Spartans were announced as the No. 9 seed in the West Region of the NCAA Tournament.
The Spartans are basically an annual fixture in the NCAA Tournament, but a series of upsets in the conference tournaments put Michigan State and several other teams on edge about possibly being on the tournament bubble.
The Spartans go into the tournament with a 19-14 record, so it’s clear they are not one of the sport’s elite teams. However, Michigan State was very highly thought of before the start of the season and Izzo has a reputation as on of the best coaches in the sport.
Additionally, the Spartans regularly face one of the most challenging schedules in the nation, and they have been rewarded for facing tough teams in the non-conference portion of the schedule.
Nevertheless, Izzo was worried throughout the day before the brackets were announced. He called it one of the most “anxious days” of his career.
Spartans senior forward Malik Hall was just as nervous as his coach, but once the announcement was made, he was confident. “”I’m just happy we’re in,” Hall said. “Once you’re in, it doesn’t matter where you’re at.”
As the No. 9 seed, Spartans will face No. 8 seed Mississippi State in the first round of the tournament Thursday. The Bulldogs (21-13) are a strong, physical team, and Tom Izzo has said that he has been told by several SEC coaches to expect a very tough game.
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