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Spartans get No. 7 seed, face Colorado in Tampa

March 16, 2003

The road to the Final Four in New Orleans is under way for the MSU men's basketball team.

The NCAA selection committee on Sunday night picked the Spartans (19-12) as the No. 7 seed in the South Region of the 2003 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship. MSU will tip-off against Colorado (20-11) on Friday in Tampa, Fla.

Colorado, the No. 10 seed, is coming off a 74-59 loss to the East Region's top seed - Oklahoma.

The Buffaloes have beaten the West's No. 2 seed Kansas, the East's No. 6 seed Oklahoma State and the South's No. 1 seed Texas. But they have fallen to non-tourney teams like Rice and New Mexico State. Sophomore center David Harrison leads the Buffaloes, with a 55 percent shooting mark from the field.

The Spartans join four other Big Ten teams in the field of 65. Big Ten Conference Tournament Champion Illinois takes a No. 4 seed in the West and will take on No. 13 Western Kentucky.

Regular season champion Wisconsin, a fifth seed in the Midwest, matches up with No. 12 seed Weber State. No. 9 seed Purdue, who fell to the Spartans in the Big Ten tourney, face No. 8 seed LSU in the South bracket.

Indiana, a Final Four team a year ago, nabbed a No. 7 seed in the Midwest. The Hoosiers play No. 10 seed Alabama.

MSU is coming off a one point, heart-breaking loss to the Buckeyes (17-14) in the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament.

But the Spartans still might be going into the NCAA tournament with some steam. They've won five of their last six games, and have impressive victories against No. 2 Kentucky and Illinois in their pocket.

MSU led the Big Ten in rebounding for the sixth consecutive year and has senior forward Aloysius Anagonye, who leads the team with a 62 percent mark from the field.

The Spartans hold a 33-15 all-time NCAA tournament record, including two national championships in 1979 and 2000.

For more on this story please see Monday's edition of The State News.

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