March Madness 2022: Predicting every First Round upset in the NCAA Tournament

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WASHINGTON, DC – MARCH 13: Michael Jones #13 of the Davidson Wildcats drives to the basket in front of Nathan Cayo #4 of the Richmond Spiders during the second half in the Championship game of the A10 Men’s Basketball Tournament at Capital One Arena on March 13, 2022, in Washington, DC. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /

2. Potential March Madness upsets – West Region: No. 10 Davidson vs. No. 7 Michigan State

There may not be a more prototypical 7-seed in the NCAA Tournament than the 2021-22 edition of the Michigan State Spartans. Most seasoned March Madness fans expect to see the Spartans peaking as the tournament begins but Tom Izzo hasn’t had the same kind of success with his team this year.

Michigan State has stumbled down the stretch, losing 8 of their final 13 games, a run that includes a loss to Penn State and two narrow wins over Maryland. There also isn’t a true star player who can take over the game for the Spartans, who have also struggled with turnovers all season long.

That formula won’t work well against a disciplined Davidson team that earned an at-large bid out of the A-10 despite losing to Richmond in the tournament final on Sunday. The Wildcats also have a former Spartan on their roster in guard Foster Loyer, who leads Davidson with 16.3 points per game and will look to exact some revenge against his former team.

It is hard to see how a Spartans’ offense that struggles to score will keep up with Davidson’s firepower. This game is probably the easiest upset to call on the 7-10 line.

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