MSU, U-M embark on Final Four collision course
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Michigan's Tre Donaldson celebrates winning the Big Ten Tournament on Sunday. Photo: Michael Reaves/Getty Images
Sunday night's reveal of the men's NCAA tournament bracket raised the postseason stakes for Michigan State and U of M with a potential rivalry showdown in two weeks for a spot in the Final Four.
Between the lines: Both teams landed in the South region.
- U of M got a head-scratching No. 5 seed in Denver after winning the Big Ten Tournament on Sunday.
- Michigan State fans, meanwhile, welcomed their draw as a No. 2 seed with first- and second-round games in nearby Cleveland.
The big picture: College basketball's annual tournament of 68 teams to crown a national champion starts with Tuesday's play-in games.
- The No. 1 seeds are Auburn (28-5) in the South; Duke (31-3) in the East; Houston (30-4) in the Midwest; and Florida (30-4) in the West.
No. 2 MSU (27-6) vs. No. 15 Bryant (23-11)
The Spartans were rewarded for winning the Big Ten regular season championship with a favorable matchup against a smaller school accustomed to lesser competition.
- 📺 Friday, 10pm, TBS
- The game will be at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, so expect plenty of fans to make the trip.
- If the Spartans win, they'll play the winner of No. 7 Marquette (23-10) and No. 10 New Mexico (26-7).
No. 5 U of M (25-9) vs. No. 12 UC San Diego (30-4)
After a poor finish to the regular season, the Wolverines won three straight to win the Big Ten Tournament. The UCSD Tritons, champions of the Big West, are making their NCAA tournament debut.
- 📺 Thursday, 10pm, TBS
- The venue will be Denver's Ball Arena, where the Nuggets and Avalanche play.
- Michigan will play the winner of No. 4 Texas A&M (22-10) and No. 13 Yale (22-7) if it advances from round one.
The intrigue: U of M and MSU will meet in the South regional final on March 30 with a Final Four trip on the line if they both win their first three tournament games.
- They've never played against each other in the NCAA tournament, the Free Press reports.
Zoom out: The women's NCAA tournament matchups were released later Sunday night.
- No. 6 U of M will face either Iowa State or Princeton on Friday in South Bend, Indiana.
- The Spartans were seeded seventh and will play No. 10 Harvard in Raleigh, N.C. on Saturday.