ESPN Bracketologist Joe Lunardi: ‘Michigan State is going to the NCAA Tournament’

Joe Lunardi of ESPN said tonight that MSU will be going to the NCAA Tournament regardless of what happens in the Big Ten Tournament.

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Michigan State managed to upset No. 2 Michigan today, earning their third top-5 win in the past 16 days. According to ESPN Bracketologist Joe Lunardi, their wins over Illinois, Ohio State, and now Michigan will be enough to get them to the NCAA Tournament regardless of what happens in the Big Ten Tournament.

In fact, Lunardi doesn’t just think MSU is in the Tournament, he currently has them getting a bye in his latest Bracketology update.

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You can see his full Bracketology update here:

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LOOK: Tom Izzo gets emotional after MSU’s win over Michigan

Watch Michigan State head basketball coach Tom Izzo get emotional after Michigan State’s huge win over in-state rival Michigan.

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Tom Izzo issued a challenge to his team just over two weeks ago. Staring at a 10-9 record and outside of the NCAA Tournament picture, the Spartans needed to find a way to win some games finishing the season strong.

Michigan State answered the challenge, finishing the season with a 5-2 record while beating three teams ranked inside of the top-5.

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Rightfully so, Tom Izzo was very emotional after the game on the court after his team capped off the regular season with a win over in-state rival Michigan. You can watch Izzo’s emotion here:

The Spartans are back in action on Thursday for the Big Ten Tournament.

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Best quotes following Michigan State Basketball’s upset win over No. 2 Michigan

Here are the best quotes following Michigan State’s huge upset win over Michigan.

Michigan State Basketball earned their biggest, most important win of the season on Sunday against their in-state rival and No. 2 team in the country Michigan. The Spartans should now be a lock to make their way to the NCAA Tournament and are heading into the Big Ten Tournament with a full head of steam.

This was an emotional, intense win for the Spartans, who were able to bounce back after a beatdown from Michigan on Thursday. It was especially emotional for Joshua Langford and Rocket Watts. For Langford, it was senior day and he hit one of the biggest shots of his career. For Watts, he played like a star and was able to play in front of his mom for the first time during his tenure at Michigan State.

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Below, we put together the best postgame quotes following a memorable win for the Spartans.

WATCH: Highlights from MSU Basketball’s win over Michigan

Watch the highlights from Michigan State’s huge win over the No. 2 ranked Michigan Wolverines on Sunday afternoon.

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Michigan State earned a huge win over in-state rival Sunday afternoon, beating the No. 2 ranked Wolverines 70-64. The win was a huge step in earning an NCAA Tournament berth for the twenty-third consecutive year under Tom Izzo.

Rocket Watts aided Aaron Henry in leading the Spartans to this crucial victory over Michigan.

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Check out the highlights from Michigan State’s win over Michigan below:

Michigan State will look to carry their momentum from this win into the Big Ten Tournament, which kicks off this Thursday.

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WATCH: MSU Basketball’s locker room celebrates the win over Michigan

Michigan State beat Michigan 70-64 on Sunday, potentially earning the Spartans a spot in the NCAA Tournament. Watch the celebration:

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Rocket Watts and Aaron Henry led Michigan State to a huge win over in-state rival Michigan. The win might just be enough to clinch the Spartans a spot in the NCAA Tournament.

Tom Izzo issued a challenge to his team over these past two weeks, and the Spartans have responded, beating three teams ranked in the top-5 to hopefully solidify a berth in the NCAA Tournament.

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Watch below the Michigan State team celebrate in the locker room after the win over Michigan on Sunday afternoon:

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Michigan State Basketball upsets No. 2 Michigan, will likely earn NCAA Tournament berth

Michigan State was able to upset the Wolverines at home and will now likely earn a trip to the NCAA Tournament.

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Michigan State Basketball has done it. Following an absolute beatdown by the Wolverines on Thursday, Tom Izzo and his Spartans bounced back to beat No. 2 Michigan 70-64. MSU was led by some stellar play from Rocket Watts and, once again, Aaron Henry, as well as some late heroics by Joshua Langford.

After getting blistered by Franz Wagner and Hunter Dickinson on Thursday, MSU was able to hold them to 22 combined points on the day, many of those coming in desperation at the end of the game.

Rocket Watts was the star for MSU in this one, scoring 21 points on 8/16 shooting (5/6 from the free-throw line). He also added 4 rebounds and 4 assists in a much-needed bounce-back game after a tough stretch to his season.

The Spartans once again relied on Aaron Henry down the stretch to close out the game. He finished with 18 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and a steal. Joshua Langford struggled in this game but was able to redeem himself with a huge game-sealing three-pointer in the final minute of action.

Marcus Bingham Jr. and Joey Hauser had a big impact in this one off the bench. Bingham played excellent defense on Hunter Dickinson, scoring 5 points to go along with 8 rebounds, 3 steals, a block, and an assist. Hauser had 11 points and 5 rebounds and looked much sharper than he has in weeks.

MSU’s third win over a top-5 team this year should lock-in an NCAA Tournament berth for the Spartans. They will get a few days of rest before the Big Ten Tournament starts on March 10.

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3 changes MSU Basketball needs to make to bounce-back against Michigan

Michigan State was blown out in Ann Arbor on Thursday night. What changes do the Spartans need to make to bounce back on Sunday.

Michigan State is playing for their NCAA Tournament lives as the regular season comes to a conclusion. The Spartans currently sit at 14-11 and are firmly on the NCAA Tournament bubble.

The Spartans are closing their season with a home and home series against in-state rival Michigan. A win against the No. 2 ranked Wolverines all but almost lock MSU into a tournament bid.

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MSU was set back in game one of the two-game series, getting throttled 69-50.

Tom Izzo and company would love to solidify their resume and get a huge win going into the Big Ten Tournament. Let’s take a look at three changes that need to be made if MSU is going to knock off Michigan:

Three quotes that stood out from Michigan State’s postgame press conference after Michigan loss

Tom Izzo and Julius Marble had a few interesting quotes following Michigan State’s loss to Michigan.

Michigan State Basketball lost a humbling game against Michigan on Thursday night 69-50. The loss was one of the most frustrating of the season, particularly because the Spartans were in the game until two things happened:

  1. Aaron Henry received a flagrant foul because the officials decided that an elbow he threw was intentional.
  2. Michigan big man Hunter Dickinson dove for a loose ball in front of MSU point guard Rocket Watts.

After that, Michigan went on a huge run, putting the game out of contention for the rest of the night.

Below, you can check out the three most interesting quotes from Tom Izzo, and one from Julius Marble, from the postgame press conference.

Michigan State Basketball drops first of two games against No. 2 Michigan

The Spartans were not able to steal the first of two games against their in-state rivals.

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Michigan State Basketball has lost their first of two games against No. 2 Michigan in a game where they failed to make a single three-point shot. The final score was 69-50.

Aaron Henry led the way for the Spartans with 14 points, 5 rebounds, 2 blocks, an assist and a steal in 36 minutes. It was an Aaron Henry flagrant foul in the first half that really let Michigan pull away, and the game wasn’t in question after that.

Michigan State looked winded after a tough schedule coming into this game, and Michigan was able to bounce-back from their loss to Illinois, being led by Hunter Dickinson and Franz Wagner who scored 14 points and 19 points, respectively.

The Spartans will get another shot at Michigan, this time at home on Sunday at 4:30 pm ET on CBS.

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Michigan State Basketball vs. No. 2 Michigan: Starting lineups for both teams

Michigan State plays the first of two games against Michigan on Thursday night. Here are your starters.

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Michigan State Basketball faces arguably their biggest test of the season in less than 20 minutes, facing off against in-state rival Michigan, the No. 2 team in the country, on the road in Ann Arbor.

Like he has done all season, Tom Izzo will be tweaking the starting lineup for MSU in what has become a common occurrence for the Spartans.

Izzo will re-insert Rocket Watts back into the starting lineup at the point guard position, and go with Julius Marble and Malik Hall in the front court, likely to save Marcus Bingham Jr., who we think might be his secret weapon, to go up against Hunter Dickinson in the second half.

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Michigan State Starters

  • G Rocket Watts
  • G Joshua Langford
  • F Aaron Henry
  • F Malik Hall
  • F Julius Marble

Michigan Starters

  • G Mike Smith
  • G Franz Wagner
  • G Eli Brooks
  • F Isaiah Livers
  • C Hunter Dickinson

THREE SPARTANS TO WATCH: Link

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