Just A Bulldog Minute: What To Know About Michigan State Ahead of March Madness

Here's what to know about the Michigan State Spartans ahead of Mississippi State's matchup this week in March Madness.

March Madness is finally upon us and Mississippi State is in the field.

The Bulldogs, an eight-seed this year, kick off their tournament run this Thursday, playing Michigan State in the first round in the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, NC. It is the first time the Bulldogs have appeared in back-to-back NCAA Tournaments since 2008-09.

The Bulldogs will be facing the Spartans, an at-large Big Ten bid who needed a little help to get into the tournament. With that in mind, here is what Bulldog fans should know about the Spartans ahead of Thursday's contest.

Michigan State, who enters the tournament as a nine-seed, has a couple solid players on the court, including guard Tyson Walker, who leads the team in points per game (18.2) and is fourth in the Big Ten in steals per game (1.8). There is also guard A.J. Hoggard, who ranks fourth in the Big Ten in assists per game (5.2).

However, as stated earlier, they needed a little help to get into the tournament this season. They notably lost to James Madison in their home opener, and finished 10-10 in Big Ten play this season, including 3-7 in road games during that span.

Despite this, longtime Spartans head coach Tom Izzo has lead the team to their 24th consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance, which ranks as a school and NCAA record.

In other words, this isn't their first rodeo, and Izzo's track record in March is something that can't be ignored. In typical nine versus eight seed fashion, Bulldog fans should expect a tough battle between the Bulldogs and Spartans when they tipoff this Thursday at 11:15 a.m. CT in Charlotte.

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