Michigan State is preparing to face North Dakota State in the first round of the NCAA tournament. The match will take place at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York.
The game will be broadcast on TNT and the Spartan Sports Network radio, including WJIM 1240-AM and WMMQ 94.9-FM, as well as SiriusXM Ch. 203.
Spartans’ Season and Rankings
Michigan State holds a 25-7 overall record. The Spartans finished second in the Big Ten with a 15-5 record, but lost in the first round of the Big Ten tournament. They are currently ranked No. 11 in both the Associated Press and USA TODAY Coaches polls. According to the NET rankings, Michigan State is No. 11, and Kenpom.com places them at No. 9.
North Dakota State has a 27-7 record, having won both the Summit League regular season and conference championships with a 14-2 conference record. The Bison are unranked in the major polls but hold the No. 114 spot in the NET rankings and are ranked No. 115 by Kenpom.
Coaching Matchup
Tom Izzo is in his 31st season as head coach for Michigan State, holding a 763-309 record. David Richman is in his 12th season as head coach for North Dakota State, with a record of 238–149.
This is the first time these two programmes have met. North Dakota State transitioned from Division II to Division I in 2003-04.
MSU’s Recent Performance and Key Stats
Michigan State is hoping for a long NCAA tournament run. They have been playing some of their best basketball in recent weeks, with the exception of a Big Ten tournament quarterfinal loss to UCLA.
MSU has become a top 25 offense and defence nationally, according to Kenpom. The Spartans rank No. 24 in offensive efficiency and No. 13 in defensive efficiency. MSU’s defensive numbers have seen a slight decline recently. They excel on the glass, holding the No. 1 spot nationally in defensive rebounding and No. 4 in offensive rebounding. Their 3-point shooting percentage is 35.9%, placing them 66th out of 365 Division I teams.
- MSU is No. 24 in offensive efficiency and No. 13 in defensive efficiency.
- The Spartans are the nation’s No. 1 defensive rebounding team and No. 4 on the offensive end.
- Their 3-point shooting percentage is 35.9%.
Fears’ Record-Breaking Season
Michigan State junior point guard Jeremy Fears Jr. has set a new programme record for single-season assists with 294, surpassing Cassius Winston’s previous record of 291 set in 2018-19. Fears leads the nation in assists, averaging 9.2 per game. He has been named a second-team All-American by the Associated Press and a third-team All-American by the Sporting News.
Izzo’s Tournament History
This marks the Spartans’ 28th consecutive NCAA tournament appearance under Izzo. Excluding the play-in game loss in 2021 during the COVID year, MSU has not lost a first-round game in 10 years. As a 2 seed, the Spartans lost to a 15-seed Middle Tennessee State team.