Another Quad 1 Game No Issue for Michigan State
The Michigan State Spartans took down the Oregon Ducks in their first game of the Big Ten Tournament, 74-64.
Oregon came in on a hot streak, having won its last eight. MSU stifled the Ducks and extended its own winning streak to eight.
The Spartans rank 10th in the country in NET, and Oregon came into Friday’s game ranked 28th. The Ducks made a run in the second half after a back-and-forth first half, but MSU was never in any danger.
What is most impressive about the Spartans’ win streak is that every game has come against a Quad 1 team. A Quad 1 team is considered a team whose NET ranks in the top 30 at home, top 50 at a neutral site and top 75 on the road.
Before MSU suffered a loss to USC in February, it had won its previous 13 games. However, only a few of those teams would come anywhere close to the NCAA Tournament.
Many questioned whether the Spartans were a good team because they were not playing strong competition. In mid-February, they lost three of four games, and many thought they would tumble because the remainder of their schedule was difficult.
MSU responded by not losing a single game after the Indiana loss.
Tom Izzo’s team is on an impeccable run. The Spartans have 13 Quad 1 wins after their win vs. Oregon.
Only Auburn has more Quad 1 wins than MSU. On Friday, Auburn defeated Ole Miss in the SEC Tournament to earn its 16th.
MSU may have the best resume in the country other than Auburn. However, it will likely not earn a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, as they are likely locked into a No. 2.
This may benefit the Spartans, as they could be in a region with a beatable No. 1 seed. Would Florida be able to beat MSU should the two teams match up?
No matter how you look at it, the Spartans are an elite team. They are one of the best defensive and rebounding teams in the country, and they have the resume to prove it.
The NCAA Tournament is unpredictable, but MSU has shown it can hang with any team in the country.
Eight Quad 1 wins is nothing to sneeze at.
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