A win over No. 2 Michigan on Sunday will be huge for the Spartans’ NCAA Tournament resume, but it won’t have any effect on where Michigan State lands in the Big Ten Tournament.
With Rutgers beating Minnesota and Indiana losing to Purdue on Saturday, the Spartans are officially locked into the No. 9 seed for the Big Ten Tournament next week. That means the Spartans will first take the floor next week at 11:30 a.m. ET on Thursday, but the opponent is still to be determined.
Entering Sunday, Rutgers currently holds the No. 7 seed and Maryland is right behind as the No. 8 seed. However, that could change depending on how Maryland’s game against Penn State and Iowa’s home match-up against Wisconsin plays out. Here’s what is in play to determine the Spartans’ draw in Indianapolis:
Maryland AND Iowa wins means Rutgers. Any other scenario then it's Maryland.
— Jeff Dillon (@jeffrdillon) March 6, 2021
A win over either the Scarlet Knights or Terapins could be needed to lock up a spot in the NCAA Tournament for Michigan State. It would also mean a third match-up against the Wolverines in an eight-day span.
Here’s how the bracket currently looks entering the final day of the regular season:
Tomorrow, by night's end, the #B1Gtourney bracket will be official.
Here's where things stand entering the final day of play: pic.twitter.com/pGzyo4oyMV
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) March 6, 2021
