5 reasons why Michigan State is this year’s UConn

Could the 2015 Michigan State Spartans be this year’s 2014 UConn Huskies and repeat their success?

Last year, we saw the UConn Huskies get hot late in March and cruise to a National Championship despite being a seven-seed. Multiple things needed to happen for this under-dog to go the distance-and they all did. For one, UConn was probably severely under-seeded. While they had been inconsistent all year, their big wins were there and shouldn’t have been overlooked by the tournament committee. Additionally, some of their best players caught fire late in the year. Both setting up the Huskies for what was a historic title run, becoming the first team in NCAA tournament history to win a title as a seven-seed.

Similarly, the Michigan State Spartans are showing some of the same qualities the Huskies possessed last year. For one, their ranking as a seven-seed was probably a bit conservative. They have clearly proved that by making it to the Final Four and beating some of the nations best programs in the process. Just like UConn last year, they have beat a heavily favored no. 2 seed team in Virginia during the round of 32 energizing them enough to succeed in the next two rounds.

It seems that Michigan State is starting to follow the same story line that UConn wrote last March. And while Big 10 critics may not like it that they are in the Final Four, the Spartans are starting to prove that they are for real this year.

So here are five reasons why they are looking a lot like last year’s UConn Huskies, and why that gives them an immediate advantage in Indianapolis.

Next: Number Seven Seed, No Problem