Dream bracket scenario for Michigan State basketball in 2025 NCAA Tournament
03/06/2025 02:58 PM
March is here, and the madness is right around the corner. Arguably the best sports month of the year is upon us, the NCAA Tournament is just a couple of weeks away as the first games get started on March 18th. The NCAA Tournament is a tough one to beat as it is definitely one of the best sporting events of the year, and the excitement of it is almost here. One team that seems poised for a deep run in the tournament is the Michigan State basketball team. Head coach Tom Izzo almost always has his team playing at their best in March, and that is certainly the case this year.
The Michigan State basketball team just clinched at least a share of the Big Ten regular season title on Wednesday night, and if they beat Iowa on Thursday, they are outright Big Ten champs.
A few weeks ago, it was looking like Michigan State might run into some trouble down the stretch. They started off Big Ten play hot, but they didn’t play a very tough schedule. Then, the Spartans started to have some tougher matchups, and they lost three out of four games at one point. With games against Illinois, Purdue, Michigan, Maryland, Wisconsin, Iowa and Michigan remaining, things were looking bleak.
Michigan State has answered the challenge by going 5-0 so far in that stretch of seven games, and they are likely going to improve to 6-0 on Thursday to become outright Big Ten champions. Tom Izzo has once again done an incredibly impressive job with his team, and the Spartans are playing their best basketball at the right time.
In a little over a week, Michigan State will learn their NCAA Tournament fate. Right now, it seems very likely that the Spartans will end up being a two seed. Let’s assume that is the case, and let’s take a look at some teams that they don’t want to see in their region when Selection Sunday rolls around.
Teams Michigan State wants to see during the first weekend
If the Michigan State basketball team does indeed get a two seed, then they will play a 15 seed in the first round, and then a seven or 10 in the round of 32. Here are some teams that the Spartans want to see:
Seven seed: Memphis
Of all the teams that are consistently projected to be a seven seed right now, Memphis is probably the best bet for the Spartans. Other teams include Kansas, Mississippi State, Illinois and more good power conference teams. The Spartans want to see Memphis because the Tigers haven’t been very battle-tested this season. The Tigers have a similar conference record as Michigan State, but the Tigers are dropping conference games to teams like Temple and Wichita State. They haven’t played a ranked team since December 14th. The Spartans, on the other hand, have won four games in a row, all against ranked teams. Memphis isn’t prepared for a team like Michigan State.
10 seed: VCU
VCU is here for the same reason as Memphis. The Rams have played zero ranked teams this season. If Michigan State had this schedule, they probably wouldn’t lose a game. VCU is taking care of business in conference play for the most part, but the Spartans are on a completely different level while playing a much more difficult schedule. This would be an easy win for Michigan State.
Teams Michigan State wants to see during the Sweet 16/Elite 8
This Michigan State team is playing really good basketball right now, and they should be able to handle anything thrown at them during the first weekend. The Spartans seem poised for a run to the Sweet 16, but things will get tougher during the second weekend. Here are a couple more teams that the Spartans would prefer to see:
Three seed: Wisconsin
It’s always intriguing when two teams from the same conference go up against each other in the tournament. Michigan State wouldn’t mind seeing the Badgers in the Sweet 16 as the Spartans just beat Wisconsin over the weekend. The Badgers are one of the hottest teams in the Big Ten right now, but that Michigan State defense completely shut them down. The Spartans are the better team.
One seed: Tennessee
One seeds are one seeds for a reason, but if there is one that you want to see this year, it’s Tennessee. The Volunteers are once again one of the best teams in the country, but we have seen this before. Rick Barnes has not performed well during the NCAA Tournament while he’s been at Tennessee despite having some really good teams, so it’s hard to imagine the Volunteers making a run to the Final Four. Any matchup against a one seed is going to be difficult, but you have to trust Tom Izzo more than Rick Barnes when it comes to a big time NCAA Tournament matchup.
Looking ahead
The regular season is nearing its end as games will wrap up this weekend, and then conference tournament week will be underway. A lot of conference tournament for one-bid leagues have already begun, but the major conferences will battle it out next week.
Conference tournaments will wrap up at the end of the week, and the bracket will be revealed on Sunday, March 16th. The first four will be played on March 18th and 19th, and the round of 64 will get going on the 20th. The first two rounds will run until March 23rd.
The Sweet 16 and Elite 8 will take place from March 27th-30th, and the Final Four will be played on April 5th with the national championship going down on April 7th. The Final Four will be played in San Antonio, Texas.
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