Michigan State took down USC in the round of 64 to move on in the 2023 NCAA Tournament. Now, the Spartans square off with the No. 2 seed Marquette Golden Eagles.
Marquette is standing in the way of a Sweet 16 appearance for MSU and a continuation of the Spartans’ run through March in Tom Izzo’s 25th consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance.
The Golden Eagles have a potent offense that can get hot quickly and score at will. They will be a tough challenge for Michigan State’s defense.
Check out Marquette’s starting lineup and rotation:
PG Tyler Kolek
Class: Junior
Points: 13.3
Assists: 7.7
Rebounds: 4.2
FG%: 48.3
3PT%: 39.4
G Kam Jones
Class: Senior
Points: 15.0
Assists: 2.0
Rebounds: 3.5
FG%: 45.8
3PT%: 35.1
G Stevie Mitchell
Class: Sophomore
Points: 7.0
Assists: 1.1
Rebounds: 2.6
FG%: 46.8
3PT%: 28.8
F Olivier-Maxence Prosper
Class: Junior
Points: 12.4
Assists: 0.7
Rebounds: 4.6
FG%: 51.3
3PT%: 33.3
C Oso Ighodaro
Class: Junior
Points: 11.4
Assists: 3.2
Rebounds: 5.9
FG%: 65.3
3PT%: 0.0
F David Joplin
Class: Sophomore
Points: 9.3
Assists: 0.8
Rebounds: 3.3
FG%: 42.2
3PT%: 39.8
G Chase Ross
Class: Freshman
Points: 4.8
Assists: 0.8
Rebounds: 1.8
FG%: 45.7
3PT%: 32.8
G Sean Jones
Class: Freshman
Points: 3.8
Assists: 0.8
Rebounds: 1.1
FG%: 42.0
3PT%: 31.7
F Ben Gold
Class: Freshman
Points: 2.7
Assists: 0.2
Rebounds: 1.1
FG%: 43.8
3PT%: 29.2
Analysis
Marquette does not have a lot of size, but it has prolific scorers at every position. The Golden Eagles can score all over the court and will flex their muscle on the offensive side of the court.
Michigan State’s defense will need to be on its “A” game, but the offense cannot fall asleep either. MSU will need a perfect blend on both ends of the court to find themselves in the Sweet 16.
