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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Robert Bondy

ESPN Bracketology: MSU continues to drop as part of recent slump

Michigan State basketball continues to drop in ESPN’s “Bracketology” after a rough stretch that has seen the Spartans lose five of their last seven games.

Lunardi has been releasing his famous “Bracketology” NCAA Tournament projections for months, and to no surprise Michigan State is in the field of 68. The Spartans are one of 8 teams Lunardi currently has dancing this upcoming March.

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Check out which Big Ten teams Lunardi has listed in his latest batch of “Bracketology” below:

Illinois

Seed / Region: No. 6 seed in South Region

First Round Opponent: No. 11 seed Nevada / Memphis

Indiana

Seed / Region: No. 5 seed in West Region

First Round Opponent: No. 12 seed Drake

Iowa

Seed / Region: No. 6 seed in East Region

First Round Opponent: No. 11 seed Arkansas

Click here for more coverage from Hawkeyes Wire on Iowa basketball

Maryland

Seed / Region: No. 7 seed in Midwest Region

First Round Opponent: No. 10 seed New Mexico

Northwestern

Seed / Region: No. 9 seed in West Region

First Round Opponent: No. 8 seed Missouri

Purdue

Seed / Region: No. 1 seed in South Region

First Round Opponent: No. 16 seed Alcorn State / No. 16 seed Fairleigh Dickinson

Rutgers

Seed / Region: No. 5 seed in East Region

First Round Opponent: No. 12 seed VCU

Click here for more coverage from Rutgers Wire on Rutgers basketball

Michigan State

Seed / Region: No. 9 seed in Midwest Region

First Round Opponent: No. 8 seed Pitt

Thoughts on Draw: Michigan State flip-flopped seeds with Pitt from Lunardi’s last NCAA Tournament bracket projection. So that isn’t a notable difference but dropping another seed line is concerning as we get closer and closer to Selection Sunday. Michigan State’s schedule should lighten up in February with opportunities to bolster their tournament stock. For this particular draw, I still think the Spartans would be favored against Pitt but beating No. 1 seed Alabama in the second round is unlikely.

Complete Bracket Prediction

Click on the tweet below for the complete bracket prediction from Lunardi:

Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan state news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Robert Bondy on Twitter @RobertBondy5.

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