Selection Sunday on March 15th determined once and for all which college-basketball teams went to the 2009 NCAA National Championship tournament. The MSU Spartans were named a #2 seed.
Michigan State Spartans
Given MSU’s Big Ten Championship title in the regular season, most prognosticators predict the MSU Spartans to make at least the Sweet 16 in the NCAA tournament. Beyond that expectation, prognostications of the team’s success in the tournament are mixed. This is true in spite of MSU’s 24-3 overall season record. The team is also ranked 6th to 7th in most national polls, including the AP Top 25 and ESPN/USA Today Poll. The team will obviously have an advantage if it makes the NCAA National Semi-Finals at Ford Field in Detroit.
Other Michigan Teams
While a Cinderella story is possible for other college teams located in Michigan, MSU has far and away the best record and chance to play at Ford Field in April.
Spartan Notes
Most commentators find the 2008/2009 Spartan team similar to previous Spartan teams. In 2009, however, the team goes into the tournament as the Big Ten Champion by four games. The team has a solid defense and a talented offense, including players Raymar Morgan, Goran Suton and Kalin Lucas. Coach Tom Izzo, however, has a history of taking the Spartans to the Sweet 16 and stalling due to a lack of focus. Another criticism is that the team lacks a dominant center.
Armchair Commentary
- Bleacher Report: MSU predicted to make Sweet 16 in NCAA National Championship tournament
- Doc's Sports Service: Big Ten Tournament preview
- CollegeHoops.net: MSU 2009 NCAA Tournament Capsule
- Sparty Basketball: Blog
- Fanhouse: NCAA Basketball: Michigan State Basketball
Betting Odds
Another way to predict the team’s chances in the tournament is by looking at sports betting odds. Most websites place the team’s chances for a NCAA National Championship at 20 or 30 to 1:
- BetVega.com: MSU 30 to 1
- CTSportsPicks.com: MSU 20 to 1
- WCBN Sports: Maize & Blog: MSU 30 to 1
- BetUs.com
More Information
As the tournament draws closer, the Spartan website publishes a Media Guide to the men’s basketball team. It also posts a tournament schedule.
