Michigan State basketball: Iowa loss makes me less confident in NCAA Tournament run

Following an embarrassing loss to Iowa on Tuesday night, I am not less confident that Michigan State basketball can make a run in March.

Michigan State basketball is coming off an embarrassing 78-71 loss to Iowa at home on Tuesday. Everything seemed to be clicking for MSU as the regular season was coming to an end, until it wasn’t.

The first half against the Hawkeyes may have been the worst half from MSU this season. The second half was much better, but the deficit was too large to overcome and the center position was not good enough.

With March only a week away and the NCAA Tournament not too far in the future, this loss to Iowa makes me think a run in March isn’t likely.

Will MSU go on a run in the NCAA Tournament?

Winning in the NCAA Tournament is hard. Winning four games in a row to make a Final Four, or six in a row to win a national championship, feels nearly impossible. That is why so many programs have never even made it to a Final Four. Michigan State has been fortunate to be one of the most successful programs of all time in the NCAA Tournament, so the Spartans know what it takes to get there. After witnessing so many Michigan State teams make a deep run, I unfortunately just don’t see that happening this year.

There’s no denying that MSU can win a couple games in the tournament. They’ve proven they can beat anyone in the country on any given night. But what Michigan State has also shown is that they can lose to anyone on any given night. This inconsistency is why I’m not confident in a deep March Madness run.

To make a Final Four, a team has to play extremely well for four games in a row. I think MSU can do that for a couple games, but I’m not convinced they can for four straight games. Even if MSU does play well every game, that still doesn’t guarantee a win in this tournament. We saw this just last year when MSU played out of their minds against Kansas State and still lost. So the lack of consistency, and the fact that the Spartans will face some elite teams, makes me not confident in a deep run this year.

How far do I think MSU will go?

As I mentioned, I do think Michigan State will win a couple games in the NCAA Tournament. But winning a couple games at MSU isn’t good enough. Depending on the matchups, I’ll probably pick MSU to make the Sweet 16. I however just don’t see a scenario where I will predict a Final Four run.

Time will obviously tell, and I really hope I’m wrong, but my confidence is suffering right now after that painful loss to Iowa.