Michigan State Basketball Earns 3-seed, Opponent Announced

The Michigan State basketball tournament streak lives on, in case anyone was wondering.

On Sunday, Michigan State basketball and their fans did not have to wait long to learn their fate for March Madness. Fresh off their loss to UCLA in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament, Michigan State was viewed in the border of the two- and three-seed lines.

In the least surprising twist ever, Michigan State basketball found themselves in the same bracket as both one-seeded Duke and two-seed UConn. The Spartans earned a three-seed and a trip to Buffalo, NY., for their season’s efforts. Tom Izzo is now at 28 consecutive NCAA Tournaments, for those wondering how long the streak is.

Who does Michigan State basketball play?

The Spartans will be taking on 14-seed North Dakota State, who won the Summit League regular season and post-season titles. The Bison blitzed through Oral Roberts, Omaha, and North Dakota to win the title. This is the Bison’s fifth appearance in the Big Dance, with their best tournament run being an overtime victory over Oklahoma in 2014 to advance to the round of 32, where San Diego State beat them soundly.

It is also worth noting that they would have had a berth in the 2020 NCAA Tournament, but the COVID-19 Pandemic cancelled the tournament.

The Bison are led by David Richman, who has coached the Bison in four of their five tournament berths, along with the cancelled 2020 Tournament. He has a 211-142 record at the helm.

Richman’s team is led by guard Damari Wheeler-Thomas, a 6-foot guard from Elgin, Ill.. Wheeler-Thomas has started 91 games for the Bison, and is averaging 14.4 points per game this season on 40% shooting from the field.

The Bison have four players averaging double figures, Trevian Carson (also their leading rebounder), Markhi Strickland, and Treyson Anderson.

Strickland has played Michigan State before, as he started for Western Michigan on December 30, 2024, where the Dwayne Stephens’ coached Broncos lost 80-62 to MSU. Stickland had 8 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 assists on 50% shooting that night.

Their rotation runs about seven deep, with those seven players averaging 18 minutes or more per game. They also have a pair of players, Emil Skytta and Carson Smith, who have average 10-or-more minutes per game, but have seen the court for 25 and 23 games, respectively.

Who else is in the region?

Michigan State basketball is in the East Region, with the second weekend of the tournament taking place in Washington, D.C. The winner of MSU vs. NDSU will take on the winner of 6 seed Louisville (23-10) and 11 seed South Florida (25-8).

The top seeds of the region are Duke and UConn, as mentioned above. UConn drew dangerous 15 seed Furman in the opening round, with MSU’s latest loss, UCLA, as the 7 seed if they can take down Central Florida. There is plenty of storylines to go around if Michigan State basketball can advance to further rounds.

The tip time has yet to be announced, but the Spartans will play in Buffalo, NY., for the regional on Thursday, March 19.