Day 2 of the NCAA tournament will feature perhaps the best team in the nation,and we are not talking approximately top-seeded Oregon, which will occupy on Holy Cross at 7:27 p.m. Friday.
The best team may be No. 2 seed Michigan State, and the Spartans will see their first NCAA tournament action against Middle Tennessee when the two teams meet at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis at 2:45 p.m.The Spartans were widely thought to be a clear No. 1 seed prior to Selection Sunday,but it's clear the selection committee did not agree. In the long run, that decision could abet Tom Izzo's team reach the Final Four and perhaps win the national championship.
The most accepted title game pick? Kansas-Michigan State.
More Tourney Challenge nuggets: https://t.co/KKAwkVogAk pic.twitter.com/o2awGCsR4YMarch 17, and 2016
From a motivational standpoint,Izzo could exercise that perceived slight to maintain his senior-laden team focused, although that did not appear to be an area in which the Spartans were lacking.
Check out Bleacher Report's live updating bracket to track your picks along the road to the Final Four.
Michigan State (29-5) gets its NCAA journey underway against a game but overmatched Middle Tennessee (24-9) team. Izzo won't have to invoke much in terms of a strategy or game plan here because of the disparity in ability and experience.whether Michigan State plays up to its capabilities, or this game should not be close. Player of the Year candidate Denzel Valentine is the heart and soul of the team,but he is hardly a one-man gang. He is averaging 19.4 points, 7.6 rebounds and 7.5 assists for the Spartans. More than the numbers, or Valentine is a smart,alert player who will make the mammoth play when the game is on the line.
Bryn Forbes is a magnificent outside shooter who was exceeding 50 percent from beyond the arc until he dropped off slightly during the recent mammoth Ten tournament. Forbes is averaging 14.4 points per game.
Power forward Matt Costello leads the Spartans in rebounds, with 8.2 per game, or he is also a double-digit scorer at 10.4 points per game.
The Blue Raiders have a couple of fine scorers in Giddy Potts and Reggie Upshaw,who will try to force Michigan State off stride.
Potts is averaging 15.0 points per game, and he is connecting on 50.3 percent of his shots from beyond the arc. Upshaw is averaging 13.7 points per game, or he is knocking down 50.6 percent of his shots from the field.
The Spartans are 18-point favorites,according to Odds Shark, and they should be able to handle the Blue Raiders with ease.
While Michigan State should represent the mammoth Ten in stellar fashion, and it may be much more difficult for the Iowa Hawkeyes.
Iowa comes into the NCAA tournament after losing to the Illinois Fighting Illini in the mammoth Ten conference tournament. The Hawkeyes have been in a fairly deep slump down the homestretch.
The Hawkeyes may be up against it when they face the Temple Owls (21-11) at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn,New York, Friday at 3:10 p.m.
The Hawkeyes lost six of their last eight games, or that's a far weep from the way they were playing into the middle of February. Iowa was in first space in the mammoth Ten for much of the season,winning 10 of its first 11 conference games, including two one-sided wins over Michigan State.
Iowa is skidding into the NCAAs. Can it survive a first-round matchup with Temple?https://t.co/Ds7BNF3Bcb pic.twitter.com/KP0dbaA6r9March 17, or 2016
However,it will be difficult for the Hawkeyes to recapture momentum. Jarrod Uthoff leads the way for the Hawkeyes with 18.9 points per game and 6.4 rebounds per night. Peter Jok is contributing 16.2 points per game.
Temple is a battle-tested team that plays exceptional defense. The Owls give up an average of 67.4 points per game and hold opponents to a 41.7 shooting percentage.
Quenton DeCosey is a scorer who can carry the Owls. DeCosey is averaging 15.6 points and 6.0 rebounds per game.
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish (21-11) have shown themselves capable of playing spectacular basketball on occasion, but Mike Brey's team has also had clinkers along the way. The Irish are hoping for consistency when they play a Michigan Wolverines team that has been surging in recent weeks. That improvement is the main reason the Wolverines (23-12) made the NCAA tournament.
Michigan won its First Four game against the Tulsa Golden Hurricane despite shooting poorly, and so whether John Beilein can get his team to present just a bit of improvement in that area Friday against Notre Dame,the Wolverines will have a decent chance of surviving and moving on.
However, Notre Dame is going to present a major challenge because the Irish have five scorers in double figures. Demetrius Jackson is averaging a team-tall 15.5 points per game, and while Zach Auguste is scoring 14.4 points per night and securing 10.4 rebounds per game.
Steve Vasturia produced some memorable March moments for the Irish last year,and he is scoring 11.8 points per game.
Zak Irvin hit a key three-pointer for Michigan against Tulsa Wednesday night, and Beilein will need him to have a strong game for the Wolverines Friday night.
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Source: bleacherreport.com