How MSU Improved Big Ten, NCAA Tourney Position with Purdue Win
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There was a lot of things at stake in West Lafayette on Thursday night.
Hopes of either No. 13 Michigan State or No. 8 Purdue winning the Big Ten were essentially zero when the two teams tipped off, but there is always something else to play for. With MSU's 76-74 upset victory over the Boilermakers, the Spartans are now in a much better position for some other goals they have after the game than they did before the game.
What Changed After Purdue Win
One big thing about the win is that Michigan State is now in a great spot to secure a triple-bye in the Big Ten Tournament. Those coveted spots go to the top four teams in the conference standings and sends those squads straight to the quarterfinals of the tournament.
Some of the other benefits include the easier path and more of an assurance that the team gets to keep its legs. If MSU gets a top-4 seed, it would need to win three games in three days. Seeds 5-8 have to win four games in four days. Obviously, it's easier to win three games than four. The fatigue of a hypothetical fourth game in the title game would also be significant, especially since the teams in the Big Ten Tournament title game might end up only getting three days' rest before the NCAA Tournament starts.
"You want that lead-up to the NCAA Tournament to be a little more pristine, to where it's like, 'OK, we've got three games in three days," instead of four games in four days," Purdue head coach Matt Painter said after the game. "It's not the end of the world, but that's what you're jockeying for."
Both the Spartans and Boilermakers entered Thursday with a 12-4 conference record. Now, Michigan State is 13-4, one game ahead of Purdue, and with the head-to-head tiebreaker in hand with three games left. Two more wins in three games against Indiana, Rutgers, and No. 3 Michigan should be enough to secure that. That's part of what made the stakes of this one high.
Perhaps more important is the potential move up to being a 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament for MSU. Getting a road victory against a Purdue squad that might be a 2 seed right now can make the difference between being a 3 and a 4 seed. Part of the game of March Madness when you're not one of the nation's elite teams is avoiding the 1 seed for as long as possible.
Those on the 3-line don't have to see the top seed until the Elite Eight; 4 seeds would see them in the Sweet 16. Buying that extra round of time maximizes the likelihood of that top seed going down in the first three rounds, as well as making the toughest-case scenario in the first round, second round, and the Sweet 16 a little bit easier.
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A 2025 graduate from Michigan State University, Cotsonika brings a wealth of experience covering the Spartans from Rivals and On3 to his role as Michigan State Spartans Beat Writer on SI. At Michigan State, he was also a member of the world-renowned Spartan marching band for two seasons.
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