REPORT: Spartans in Jeopardy of First-Round Upset

The No. 7 seed Michigan State Spartans are preparing for their first-round matchup with the No. 10 Harvard Crimson on Saturday afternoon. Despite being the higher seed, one bracketologist predicts that the Spartans may be in a trendy upset spot.

Feb 19, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Michigan State Spartans head coach Robyn Fralick (left) talks with guard Jocelyn Tate (11) against the Southern California Trojans in the second half at the Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The No. 7 Michigan State Spartans (21-9) are preparing for their first-round matchup of the NCAA Tournament with the No. 10 Harvard Crimson (24-4) on Saturday afternoon in Raleigh, North Carolina. As the game nears closer, the upset alerts are beginning to rise and the Spartans are in the midst of it.

ESPN women's basketball bracketologist Charlie Creme put out 10 potential upsets in the early rounds of the tournament, featuring the Spartans' first-round matchup with the Crimson. He gave a strong reasoning for why Michigan State may suffer the first-round loss to the Ivy League champs.

Harvard has the Ivy League's No. 1 scorer in senior guard Harmoni Turner. She is averaging 22.5 points on 44% shooting with 5.4 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game. She scored a season-high 44 points against Princeton in the conference tournament semifinal before winning the tournament.

"BPI heavily favors the Spartans, but Harmoni Turner is the hottest player in the country, averaging 31.3 points over the Crimson's past four games," Creme wrote. "Harvard allows 52.5 points per game, fourth best in the nation. A great player and a great defense are a good recipe for a surprise, especially when the Spartans don't have the size to make Harvard feel uncomfortable."

Luckily for the Spartans, they score an average of 79.5 points per game, third-best in the Big Ten. They put up the third-most shot attempts in the conference (63.7) and are shooting at a 44.7% clip from the field. If Michigan State plays its game, it should find a way to score enough to outlast the upset.

The Crimson went 2-0 against Big Ten teams during the regular season, defeating Northwestern and then-No. 25 Indiana. They are currently on a four-game win streak and have become accustomed to winning, repping a 24-4 record heading into the tournament.

Michigan State has lost four of their last six but earned their highest seed since 2016 for a reason. They were a nationally ranked team for the majority of the season, going toe-to-toe with No. 1 overall seed UCLA and earning an early season win over then-No. 21 Iowa.

Creme makes valid points regarding the danger that Harvard presents, but the Spartans have the talent edge if they are able to limit Turner. Michigan State will heavily rely on senior guard Julia Aryault, leading scorer at 14.8 points per game.

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