Kiichiro Sato/Associated Press
The sixth-ranked Michigan State Spartans made one final effort to show the NCAA tournament selection committee why they deserve a No. 1 seed with a 65-60 victory over the rival Michigan Wolverines in the 2019 Big Ten men’s basketball tournament championship game Sunday at the United Center in Chicago.
Michigan State, which is one of approximately five teams fighting for likely two available No. 1 spots, was led offensively by Matt McQuaid with 27 points. At worst, the Spartans’ win should guarantee them no worse than a second seed in the Big Dance.
Meanwhile, Michigan has also earned a high March Madness seed despite Sunday’s loss. Ignas Brazdeikis scored 19 points to pace the Wolverines, who should be on the two or three line when the bracket is released later Sunday.
Matt McQuaid Proves He’s X-Factor for Michigan State
When Michigan State lost Joshua Langford to a season-ending foot injury midway through the year, it became clear the Spartans needed a new third weapon alongside Cassius Winston and Nick Ward.
McQuaid has flashed the ability to become that player, but his lack of consistency raised questions about whether he could be counted on in March. He provided the answer Sunday by connecting on seven of his 13 three-point attempts en route to a game-high 27 points.
CBS Sports CBB @CBSSportsCBB
Great find. Great shot.
It’s a two-point game on CBS. https://t.co/bSeLQHgy7Z
The Spartans are going to need more performances like that from the senior guard if they are going to add a national championship to their trophy case alongside the Big Ten title.
He only topped 20 points one other time so far this season, a 22-point outing against the Nebraska Cornhuskers on March 5, but he’s reached double figures seven times in the team’s past 11 games. That’s a promising sign after he scored more than 12 points just one time in his first 20 appearances.
Steve Lorenz @TremendousUM
MSU earned McQuaid finding himself open consistently because of how much damage they did off ball screens in the first two matchups. Still felt like Michigan over-helped way too much in certain instances though.
Michigan State will be one of the most well-balanced teams in the tournament. They have proved capable of winning games at both ends of the floor despite the loss of Langford, and their performance to win the Big Ten tourney shows they can handle the pressure.
A hot-shooting McQuaid could be the element that pushes the Spartans over the top in the Big Dance.
Michigan Can Ride Stout Defense to Final Four
Michigan’s offense can go through some extended droughts, as it did during the second half Sunday to allow the Michigan State comeback, but its defense is the foundation for March success.
The Wolverines held the Spartans, owners of the 13th-best shooting percentage in the country, to 40 percent shooting in the Big Ten final. The number was actually in the low 30s for most of the contest before MSU made its late surge.
Michigan came into the day leading the nation in adjusted defensive efficiency, according to KenPom.com. That ability to put the clamps down on an opponent paired with the team’s slow tempo really puts pressure on opponents every possession.
Manuel Excel @colintj
The heartening thing is that Michigan solved many of their problems on defense and ran out a lot of lineups that gave them multiple looks against all kinds of different offenses.
The problem is the problem that’s been the problem for a while now. What to do against switching?
The question for the Big Ten runners-up will be whether they can hit enough clutch shots to support that elite defense.
Brazdeikis, the Wolverines’ leading scorer at 14.9 points per game, led the charge again Sunday with 19 points on the strength of four three-pointers. His ability to score from anywhere makes him a serious matchup problem, but no one else on the roster is the same type of consistent threat.
Isaiah Livers is a name to watch in the Big Dance, especially in games where Jordan Poole or Charles Matthews is having an off shooting night while trying to support Brazdeikis. The sophomore forward’s ability to knock down threes off the bench will take on additional importance in the weeks ahead.
All told, the Michigan offense runs hot and cold, but the defense will be a challenge for any opponent and should ensure a long March Madness stay.
What’s Next?
Both teams now await their first matchup of the NCAA tournament. They will each be a heavy favorite in the first round regardless of who’s announced as their opponent during the selection show at 6 p.m. ET on CBS.
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