2015 NCAA Tournament East Region: Who WIll Make Final 4?

Mar 22, 2015; Charlotte, NC, USA; Michigan State Spartans guard

(45) handles the ball against Virginia Cavaliers guard

(1) and forward

(13) in the third round of the 2015 NCAA Tournament at Time Warner Cable Arena. Michigan State won 60-54. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

At some point, America will learn to stop doubting and betting against Tom Izzo in March. Until that day comes, I’ll continue to look like a genius. There was a staggering stat on Twitter I saw earlier in the week that stated a Tom Izzo-coached team is more likely to make the Final Four (6 times) than lose in the first weekend (5 times). Phenomenal.

MSU beat the Cavaliers at their own game, for the most part. They sped up the tempo early on, mainly thanks to Travis Trice‘s 13-point explosion in the opening moments of the game. However, they battled in a physical affair and forced Virginia into a terrible shooting night (albeit, so of that terrible shooting was self-imposed). In the end, it was Izzo’s crew who moved on.

Against Oklahoma, they match up very favorably and I would actually favor the under-seeded Spartans. Against the Cardinals in the next round, they again match-up favorably and have already played, and beaten, a similar defensive juggernaut. Really, no matter the opponent, they match-up well, and with their very much improved level of play, they are the favorites for another Final Four run.

Next: 2015 NCAA Tournament: Sweet 16 TV Schedule, Announcing Teams