The No. 2 Michigan State Spartans are dancing into the March Madness Elite Eight for the first time since 2019 after pulling out a narrow 73-70 win over the No. 6 Ole Miss Rebels.
Freshman Jase Richardson, son of Spartans legend and former NBA star Jason Richardson, led the way with 20 points and six rebounds. He made four of his six attempts from 3-point range. It was quite the rebound from his abysmal six-point, 1-of-10 showing in Michigan State's Round of 32 win over New Mexico.
This was a hard-fought win for the Spartans, who trailed at halftime. Ole Miss' physical defense made Michigan State uncomfortable and kept the offense stagnant on the perimeter for much of the game. It was Richardson who sparked Michigan State in the second half, however. Tom Izzo leaned on the frosh to create much of the Spartans' offense, with positive results. Senior Jaden Atkins also made huge plays down the stretch.
It's a tough loss for Chris Beard and the Rebels, who put together an admirable campaign in college basketball's toughest conference. When it comes to the NCAA Tournament, however, few coaches are more experienced than Izzo. His teams are notoriously difficult to put away, which was absolutely the case on Friday evening.
Now, a tough test awaits Michigan State in the Elite Eight this weekend.
Who does Michigan State play in Elite Eight after beating Ole Miss?
Michigan State advances to the final stage of the South Region, with a challenging test on the docket. The Spartans await the winner of Friday night's showdown between No. 1 seed Auburn and No. 5 seed Michigan. Their next game is slated for Sunday at an undetermined time.
It won't easier as the March Madness field shrinks. Of the Elite Eight teams so far, one could argue that Michigan State has been the least impressive. This was the third straight game in which Izzo's Spartans got off to a slow start and worked their way back from a first-half deficit. That strategy can work against Bryant or New Mexico. Even Ole Miss. It's less certain to work against top-shelf SEC or Big Ten competition,
Auburn, the No. 1 overall seed, has been college basketball's best team to date. The Tigers appear fallible after dropping three of four to end the regular season and SEC Tournament, but sleeping on Aubrun would be a mistake. Johni Broome is a deadly force with extensive experience. Auburn is a deep, veteran group, led by a warrior head coach in Bruce Pearl.
If Michigan prevails, that adds an extra layer of spice to Michigan State's Elite Eight appearance. We'd all love to see such a heated in-state rivalry on college hoops' grandest stage. The Spartans swept Michigan in the regular season with a 13-point win in Ann Arbor and a 19-point win in East Lansing.
That is a positive sign should the Wolverines pull out the Sweet 16 upset, but Michigan has found its high gear at the right time. A high-scoring Michigan team that gets out in transition and creates mismatches with a skilled, oversized frontcourt does not sound like the ideal Michigan State opponent on paper. The third time's the charm. At least, that is what Wolverines fans will be telling themselves if Michigan State-Michigan is the final draw on Sunday.
We will update this article in the future. Stay tuned.