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 clinched a share of the Big Ten regular season title on Wednesday night, and after beating Iowa on Thursday, they clinched outright possession of the title. Then, the Spartans ended the regular season on Sunday with a convincing home win against rival Michigan. Michigan State is hot right now.
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 7-0 in that stretch of seven games, and they are once again on top of the Big Ten. Tom Izzo has done an incredibly impressive job with his team, and the Spartans are playing their best basketball at the right time.
In a little less than 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. This team is playing their best basketball at the right time, and it looks like they are ready to go on a deep run in the tournament. Michigan State has a lot of tools that will help them be successful in March, but like every team, there are some things that the Spartans struggle with. Here is one thing that could end up being a concern when the tournament rolls around:
Michigan State struggles with the deep ball
The Michigan State basketball team does a lot of things well, but their biggest issue is definitely shooting the three ball. The Spartans are shooting 30.2% from three on the season, which ranks 337th in Division I college basketball. The Spartans are one of the worst three point shooting teams in the entire country.
On the bright side, this issue hasn’t stopped Michigan State from having an incredibly successful season so far. The Spartans are still finding ways to beat really good teams despite the shooting struggles, and they will be able to do that in the tournament as well. However, of all the things that could end up costing the Spartans a game in the big dance, this seems like the most likely cause.
Michigan State’s season percentage is still very low, but the Spartans have been starting to shoot it better in recent games, so that’s a good sign. There have been multiple games as of late where Michigan State knocked in nine triples and shot between 33-40% from deep. That’s certainly a step up from what we have seen during other contests this year.
This issue could present problems in the tournament because the style of play for teams in other conferences differs from the Big Ten. Michigan State’s tough, defensive mindset works perfectly in the Big Ten as the conference is known for its physical, more low-scoring nature. However, there are some teams in the SEC that can absolutely light the scoreboard up. Obviously, they might be thrown off by Michigan State’s defense, but if the Spartans do end up getting into a shootout with a team, it probably won’t bode well for them.
At the end of the day, Michigan State fans shouldn’t be too worried about this issue. If the Spartans were losing games because of their shooting woes, then yeah, it would be more of a concern heading into the tournament. However, Michigan State just finished their toughest stretch of the regular season, and they passed with flying colors. They are also starting to shoot the deep ball better. Everything is trending in the right direction for the Spartans as they gear up for a tournament run.
Looking ahead
The regular season has come to a close as games wrapped up over the weekend, and conference tournament week is now getting underway. A lot of conference tournaments for one-bid leagues have already begun, but the major conferences will battle it out this 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.
We’ve made it to champ week, and the big dance is about a week way. We’re almost there, college basketball fans. Buckle up, because the next month is going to be a lot of fun.
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