After winning the Big Ten regular season title and falling short in the conference tournament, coach Tom Izzo’s Michigan State squad will embark on its seemingly annual NCAA Tournament run.
This year, they’ll kick off March Madness against the No. 15 seed Bryant Bulldogs.
Tom Izzo, Spartans Begin NCAA Tournament Run Against Bryant
Death, Taxes, and Michigan State making the NCAA Tournament each March under coach Tom Izzo. Those are certainties in life.
The Spartans extended their streak to 27 straight “Big Dance” appearances with an at-large selection on Selection Sunday. Michigan State is the No. 2 seed in the South Region and will take on No. 15 seed Bryant, the America East regular season and conference tournament champion, on Friday night in Seattle.
Izzo, the Spartans’ 70-year-old leader, was just named the Big Ten Coach of the Year for the fourth time. His team is 27-6, posting the most wins since 2018-19, the last time Michigan State reached the Final Four.
Under Izzo, the school has reached eight Final Fours and won the national championship in 2000—the last time a Big Ten school has done so.
Even with all the success, this season still felt like a rebirth for a program with such stringent standards. The Spartans were seeded no higher than seventh in the past four NCAA tournaments, and they have only reached the second weekend once during that time.
The team was only 43-38 in Big Ten play the past four seasons but won the regular season crown this year by three games with a 17-3 league record.
“He has the energy of a young coach,” freshman Jase Richardson told NCAA.com after Michigan State’s 74-64 quarterfinal victory over Oregon in the Big Ten tournament on Friday. “Sometimes, when you’re out there, you think he’s your age.”
Richardson is the son of Jason Richardson, a guard on Izzo’s 2000 national champion squad who went on to play for five teams throughout a 14-year NBA career. The younger Richardson is averaging 12 points, second on the team to Jaden Akins’ 12.7. Seven players are averaging seven points or more for the Spartans.
If this year’s Michigan State contingent is to make a deep NCAA Tournament run, it will need to quickly shake off its 77-74 Big Ten tournament semifinal loss to Wisconsin, which ended an eight-game winning streak. Richardson had 21 points and seven rebounds, and Jeremy Fears Jr. added 14 points and six assists.
The Spartans’ first-round opponent is the Bryant Bulldogs, the No. 15 seed. The Bulldogs won the America East’s automatic bid in dominating fashion, defeating three tournament opponents by an average of 14 points, including a 77-59 victory over Maine in the championship game. This is the school’s second NCAA Tournament appearance.
A familiar name leads Bryant, Phil Martelli Jr., the son of the long-time St. Joseph’s (Pa.) coach. Rafael Pinzon paces the Bulldogs with 18.5 points per game, followed by Earl Timberlake, who’s averaging 15.5 points, 8.2 rebounds, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks.
Michigan State is in a good position. No. 2 seeds historically are 145-11 in first-round games. A three-year run of upsets on this line occurred from 2021-2023, but none took place last year.
MORE MARCH MADNESS: Rick Pitino’s Legacy Continues To Grow as St. John’s Earns No. 2 Seed
Looking ahead, if the Spartans win Friday night, they’ll take on the winner of Marquette and New Mexico. The top half of the South Region features Auburn, the No. 1 overall seed, despite losing three of their last four games. In-state rival Michigan, who won the Big Ten tournament over the Wisconsin Badgers, is the No. 5 seed.
This year’s team has restored Izzo’s faith in an environment overridden by NIL. A deep run in the NCAA tournament would be just a reward for this group.
“You know, I am having fun,” Izzo told NCAA.com. “I think that’s hard to say at this time of year because you’re playing for so much, but these guys have been great for me. I think I’ve made some adjustments for them. It’s been good.”
Don’t miss a moment of March Madness! Download your 2025 NCAA Tournament printable bracket and stay on top of every game, matchup, and Cinderella story. Get yours now!
