Basically, the law of averages had to come into play. Well, it did. Still, it wasn’t enough for the Spartans.

Their season ended Thursday in Phoenix in the Sweet 16 with a 57-44 loss to No. 4-seed Louisville. MSU finished the season 29-8 with a share of the regular season title and tournament championship in the Big Ten.

But Thursday night, none of that mattered anymore. In nearly every facet of the game, the Cardinals were better.

Say what you want about Louisville hitting seven of 15 3-pointers, including one from previous 0-for-1 center Gorgui Dieng, in the first half. The Cardinals went back to form somewhat in the second half, going 2-for-8 from long range.

And while it seemed they still got all the bounces in the second half, they really just outplayed the Spartans. No excuses. No bad luck. Louisville came into Thursday’s game as the underdog, with most experts predicting an MSU win and came out as the team that looked more poised in a high pressure game.

Senior forward Draymond Green scored 13 points and grabbed 16 rebounds, making him the all-time leading rebounder in school history, but he did it on 5-for-16 shooting. He also had six uncharacteristic turnovers and wasn’t the superhero player he was the majority of the season.

It wasn’t the way his career was supposed to end. Cementing his legacy this past season, Green played in the first two NCAA Tournament games like a player who wasn’t going to let his team lose.

March Madness happens sometimes, though. Sometimes — although it tends to happen more often than not — the NCAA Tournament doesn’t make sense. Poor shooting teams get hot. Unflappable players look rattled and teams seemingly destined to succeed bow out early
The Cardinals’ first-half 3-pointers gave them confidence and demoralized the Spartans, and that’s all it took.

Because in the second half, that’s how both teams looked. Louisville executed and defended confidently, and MSU appeared flustered throughout most of the final 20 minutes.

Maybe, in the end, the law of averages did ring true. Few expected the Spartans to be in this position when the season started. From unranked to Big Ten Champions twice to a No. 1 seed, MSU exceeded expectations. All the success this season changed those expectations, though, and it just felt the Spartans were bound to be playing in the Final Four in New Orleans next weekend.

Instead, they’ll be watching from home. And to them, it likely doesn’t make any sense.