The MSU men's basketball team is in the NCAA Tournament for the 20th straight time. The Spartans will be the No. 9 seed in the Midwest.
This 20-season tournament streak — all under head coach Tom Izzo — is currently the third longest streak in the NCAA. Only the No. 2 seed Duke Blue Devils, 22 straight, and the No. 1 seed Kansas Jayhawks, 28 straight, currently have a longer streak.
The first round matchup will be against the No. 8 seed Miami. This game will take place in Tulsa, Okla. on March 17. The winner will move onto the round of 32 to face the winner of No. 1 seed Kansas and No. 16 seed NC Central/UC Davis.
Here is why the MSU men's basketball was selected in the tournament:
Overall Record
19-14
Conference Record
10-8
RPI
51
SOS
10
Key Wins
Wichita State Minnesota (twice) Northwestern Michigan Wisconsin
Key Loses
Northeastern Penn State
A key win is defined as defeating an opponent with an RPI under 50. A key loss is defined a loss against a team with an RPI outside the top 100.
The top four seeds in the Midwest include:
No. 1 seed: Kansas Jayhawks
No. 2 seed: Louisville Cardinals
No. 3 seed: Oregon Ducks
No. 4 seed: Purdue Boilermakers
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