NCAA Tournament: Eighth Seed Miami Hurricanes to Face Michigan State

Throughout the season, Miles averaged 8.6 more minutes than the second minutes-leader on the team.

Even so, Larranaga doesn’t believe his team is limping into the postseason.

But in the months since, the Hurricane’s men’s basketball team grew up.

The win over Indiana State for the 1979 National Championship was the high point of Spartan basketball for years to come. He’s a prodigious dunker and going to be a tough cover for Davon Reed and Kamari Murphy. Huell’s situation is a bit more interesting as he’s a 20-year-old freshman and McDonald’s All-American (played on same team as Josh Langford).

Michigan State is making its 20th straight NCAA Tournament appearance one year after losing in the first round as No. 2 seed.

It was just last week that an airplane carrying the entire MI basketball team slid off the runway in the midst of a wind storm.

“The good thing is the way Nick watched film of that game against Minnesota”, said associate head coach Dwayne Stephens. “You can have six inexperienced veterans if you have four or five veterans”. “We put these guys through hell yet they’re still standing”. There were games we only played seven. If both teams win their first two games, they’ll play in the Sweet 16. “We’ve overcome a lot of adversity and I think we’re hitting our stride right now and hopefully we’ll play very well Friday night”. However, the team had 9 losses with 4 of them coming at the end of the season including a first-round exit from the Big 10 Tournament.

But some of their weaknesses – and strengths – mirror Miami’s. Both teams are among the top 100 defense teams in the country. He averages 13.7 points and 6.5 rebounds, trailing only Bridges, and has been a pleasant surprise as a relatively unheralded prospect who was 30 pounds heavier last summer.

On the other bench, Miami will prepare for Michigan State as if the Spartans won the Big Ten, as evidenced by Larranaga comparing Michigan State to ACC champion North Carolina. And if Tom Izzo ever brings out the lineup of Kenny Goins and Kyle Ahrens in the frontcourt, Spartan fans don’t want to know what will happen. Both teams are looking to save their somewhat disappointing seasons with a strong run at the NCAA Tournament, and the victor of this game will be presented an opportunity to test themselves against the number one seed Kansas Jayhawks.

Michigan State advanced at least to the Sweet 16 every year from 2012 to 2015 and earned a Final Four berth in 2015.

The March Madness frenzy isn’t as rampant in East Lansing as it has been in past years; this year’s Spartan team, sitting at 19-14, squeaked into the tournament after getting bounced in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament.

“As they say about an alcoholic, until you admit you’re one you never get cured or you never get better, and I think that goes for all of us in life”. We have to stick to our defensively principles and stay solid.

“We’ve got to shoot the ball well, we’re not going to beat you a million different ways”.

“Big weekend for him”, Izzo said.