Michigan State's Big Ten Tournament Seed And Opponent Are Set
Three weeks ago, Michigan State men's basketball was 9-5 in Big Ten Conference play and knocking on the door of a double-bye in the league tournament.
Following a disappointing 1-4 finished to their regular season, the Spartans have slipped all the way back to the No. 8 seed in the 2024 Big Ten Tournament and will face No. 9 seed Minnesota in the second round on Thursday (12 p.m./Big Ten Network).
The Spartans and Golden Gophers split two games in the regular season, as Michigan State earned a 76-66 win in East Lansing and Minnesota won the rematch in Minneapolis, 59-56. In that second matchup, MSU built a 45-36 with just over 13 minutes left in the game, but momentum swung in favor of Minnesota after Tyson Walker reaggravated his groin injury.
Walker sat out the next four minutes, and the Spartans' offense fell apart without its leading scorer. The Golden Gophers outscored Michigan State 23-11 the rest of the way.
Like the Spartans, Minnesota finished its regular season with four losses in their last five games. Michigan State dodged a bullet here, as the Spartans were set to face the Big Ten's hottest team — Ohio State — before Penn State defeated Maryland late Sunday night. That win moved the Nittany Lions into a three-way tie with the Buckeyes and the Golden Gophers, and the league's tiebreakers moved Minnesota into the No. 9 seed.
Regardless of its opponent, Michigan State has a lot to figure out if it wants to make a run in the Big Ten Tournament. The Spartans have struggled with consistency throughout the season, and have really stagnated offensively over the past two weeks. The winner between Michigan State and Minnesota will advance to face No. 1 seed Purdue on Friday.
Prior to Sunday's loss to Indiana, most major bracketologists projected the Spartans to earn a No. 9 seed in the upcoming NCAA Tournament. Michigan State's final landing spot will likely be determined by their performance this week in the Big Ten Tournament, but it's hard to imagine MSU falling all the way out of the field of 68, even with a loss Thursday to Minnesota. Still, Michigan State can cement its spot with a win over the Gophers and a strong performance against the Boilermakers.
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