Michigan State Not Included in First Bracket Reveal

The Michigan State Spartans were not mentioned during the March Madness Selection Committee's first mock bracket reveal of their top 16 teams.

Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo reacts to a referee call during the first half against Minnesota at Breslin Center in East Lansing on Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Michigan State Spartans were not mentioned in Saturday's first mock bracket revealed by the tournament selection committee. 

Some bracketologists had the Spartans as high as a 2 seed before their recent slump, when they had lost three of four prior to Illinois.

There were three Big Ten teams mentioned ahead of Michigan State in the reveal. The Purdue Boilermakers are a projected two-seed, the Wisconsin Badgers are a projected three-seed and the Michigan Wolverines are a projected 4 seed. 

The committee has the SEC taking home three 1 seeds: Auburn, Alabama and Florida. The SEC also leads all conferences with six teams in the top 16; the Big 12 isn’t far behind with five.

One of the five Big 12 teams is the Kansas Jayhawks, the No. 13 overall team slotted as a 4 seed. The Jayhawks are the only team in the top 16 that the Spartans have gone against. Michigan State has improved since its loss to Kansas in the Champions Classic but didn’t get any love from the Selection Committee.

The Top 16 seeds in bracket form 👀#BracketPreview pic.twitter.com/zA3qrDHht3

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) February 15, 2025

The Spartans still have plenty of time to improve their resume, as their gauntlet of Big Ten contenders continues before the end of the season.

On Saturday, Michigan State made a statement on the road, beating Illinois, 79-65, despite facing a 16-point deficit. This win will definitely catch the eye of the committee, as road wins over Quad 1 teams like the Illini are extremely valuable. It also silents the critcs of the Spartans lacking quality wins.

Michigan State also has at least two games against its biggest rival, Michigan, which leads the Big Ten with an in-conference record of 11-2. The Spartans have had success against the Wolverines recently, with a 4-2 record since 2022. 

Even though Michigan State’s stock has dipped recently, a strong finish to the season could cement them as a top team and even as the winner of the Big Ten regular-season title.

Spartans coach Tom Izzo has been rewarded a top-4 seed in March Madness 12 times over his 30-year tenure. However, that hasn't happened since the Spartans’ 2019 Final Four run.

There are only four weeks until Selection Sunday, where the Spartans will most likely receive a tournament bid for a 27th consecutive season, the longest active streak recognized by the NCAA.  

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