3 Trends for Michigan State's Upcoming March Madness Run

The 2-seed Michigan State Spartans take on the 15-seed Bryant Bulldogs, winners of the American East Conference, in the first round of March Madness.

Spartans coach Tom Izzo has plenty of experience to draw from, as the Hall of Fame coach has qualified for 27-straight NCAA Tournament appearances.

Here are three March Madness trends for Michigan State:

The Big Ten’s championship drought

This stat has been drilled into almost every fan of a Big Ten team. There has been no National Champion from the Big Ten since the Spartans won it all in the 2000 season.

Even with no championships since the turn of the century, there has been no shortage of close calls for the conference. The Purdue Boilermakers were the closest to ending the drought last season, making a run to the Final Four, finishing runner-up to the UConn Huskies, the back-to-back National Champions.

The SEC has contended with the Big Ten for many years and has now taken over as the conference with the most selections, receiving 14 bids, an NCAA Tournament record. Michigan State shares the south region with the 1-seed Auburn Tigers, the SEC champions, who earned the top seed in the entire country.

The Big Ten Tournament champions, the Michigan Wolverines, are also in the South Region with the Spartans. As a 5-seed, Dusty May’s squad has a scary matchup against UC San Diego. The 12-seed has caught plenty of buzz as a potential Cinderella.

Don’t overlook the 15-seeds

The 15-seed has always been a long way to knock off the titans of the sport, facing off against teams that have top-eight resumes. However, since 1991, there have been eleven 15-seeds to pull off the upset.

Over the past few years, there has been a sharp increase in the amount of shocking upsets. From 2021-2023, there was a 15-seed to upset a 2-seed in all three tournaments.

In 2022, the St. Peter’s Peacocks shocked the Kentucky Wildcats, making a run to the Elite Eight, making history as the first 15-seed to make it past the Sweet 16.

The uniquely quick pace of Bryant could pose some issues for the Spartans; Izzo will need to prepare for the Bulldogs' best shot, as this opportunity doesn't arrive often for a small school from the Northeast.

Obviously, Michigan State is familiar with the 15 seed being a dangerous opponent. In 2016, the Spartans were stunned by Middle Tennessee State in the first round, marking Izzo’s first loss to a double-digit seed since 2006 against George Mason.

Started from the bottom

In the 64-team era, there is a concerning trend regarding Michigan State. The Spartans began the season outside of the preseason AP Poll Top 25. Since 1985, 39 teams have earned a top-two seed after beginning the season unranked, per Evam Abrams of the Action Network.

These underdog stories haven’t ended well as none of the teams have advanced to a Final Four and average less than two wins per NCAA Tournament.

There have been five instances of this scenario since 2018, with none of them making it past the Sweet Sixteen. Including the 2018 Virginia Cavaliers, the first-ever 1-seed to lose in the Round of 64.

The Spartans aren’t the only team trying to buck this trend during the tournament. Led by head coach Rick Pitino, the St. John’s Red Storm went from a preseason unranked team to the Big East Champions and a two-seed in the West Region.

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