Evaluating MSU's Potential Path to a Final Four

The Michigan State Spartans are preparing for the NCAA Tournament, hoping to make another deep run to the Final Four.

If Tom Izzo reaches this year’s Regional Final, it will be the ninth time in his career. Only four other coaches in college basketball history have reached that stature.

It is tough to reach a Final Four. You have to play your best basketball for multiple games in a matter of days and hold off upset-minded teams.

This year, Izzo’s Spartans are on the other side of the coin. They have been the lower-seeded team looking to make a surprise run in the last few years but hold a No. 2 seed this year.

So, what does a potential path to the Final Four look like?

It starts with No. 15-seeded Bryant. The Bulldogs are a team with size that dominates the glass, but does not have a Quad 1 or Quad 2 win on the season.

MSU should take care of business against Bryant and move on to the second round (I know, I know, Middle Tennessee State laughs).

If the Spartans move on in the first round, they take on the winner of No. 7 Marquette and No. 10 New Mexico.

Izzo has had success against both head coaches in that game, including a recent NCAA Tournament win over Shaka Smart’s Golden Eagles squad. He also has a 9-3 record against Lobos head coach Richard Pitino.

If MSU advances and No. 3-seeded Iowa State advances, the Spartans would face a talented Cyclones team without their second-leading scorer, Keshon Gilbert. That gives them a better chance of moving on, and Izzo could welcome T.J. Otzelberger to the elite ranks of college basketball.

However, if No. 6-seeded Ole Miss advances, Izzo will once again meet Chris Beard. Beard defeated the Spartans when he was the head coach at Texas Tech in the Final Four in 2019.

Beating either of those teams would likely set up a match-up with Auburn, the No. 1 overall seed. Despite dropping three of their last four, the Tigers are still arguably the best team in the country.

Not to mention, what if Michigan makes a run to the Elite Eight? That would make for a highly-viewed basketball game.

It is not an easy path to a Final Four, but Izzo prefers it that way. If he wants No. 9, his team will have to earn it.

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