The Michigan State Spartans are the favorites to reach their first NCAA Tournament championship game since 2009. But in order for the Spartans to reach that goal, they first must get past a solid Texas Tech squad.
The 2019 NCAA Tournament is winding down as there are just two games remaining. One of the national semifinals features the Michigan State Spartans (32-6) against the Texas Tech Red Raiders (30-6). The Spartans and Red Raiders are set to tip-off at 8:49 p.m. (ET) at U.S. Bank stadium in Minneapolis (MN). The Final Four will be televised by CBS.
The Spartans may not be the hottest team in the nation — that honor goes to Auburn which has won 12 straight — but they are likely the best team remaining in the Tournament. The Spartans, who have won nine games in a row, claimed both the Big Ten regular season and tournament crowns. They rank among the best in the nation in several offensive and defensive categories. Also, MSU is 9-1in neutral site games and 12-1 against teams ranked in the top-25 nationally. The Spartans have accomplished all of this despite injuries to three of their key players — Joshua Langford, Nick Ward, and Kyle Ahearn.
Michigan State has been very impressive so far in the NCAA Tournament, winning their four games by an average of 12.2 points a game. The Spartans defeated Bradley, Minnesota, and LSU by double-digits before edging Duke (68-67) in the Elite Eight.
Cassius Winston has carried the Spartans all season and he came up big against Duke, scoring or dishing out an assist in 19 of the team’s 30 field goals. He finished with 20 points along with 10 assists against the Blue Devils and is averaging 19 points, 2.0 triples and 7.7 assists during Tournament play. Xavier Tillman — averaging 15 points, 8.5 rebounds and 1.7 blocks during the Tournament — and Kenny Goins have been major factors on both ends of the floor.
Texas Tech has won 15 of its last 17 games with 11 of those victories coming by double figures. The Red Raiders have the highest scoring margin of the four remaining Tournament teams, winning each game by at least six points and by an average of 15.5 points. The Raiders defeated Northern Kentucky, Buffalo, and Michigan by at least 15 points. They then outlasted Gonzaga 76-69 in the Elite Eight.
The Raiders are a good shooting team, however, they really get after to it on the defensive end. They are No. 1 in adjusted defensive efficiency, No. 3 in 2-point percentage defense, No. 9 in 3-point percentage defense and No. 11 in defensive turnover percentage.
6-foot-5 sophomore guard Jarrett Culver is Texas Tech’s main offensive weapon. Culver — averaging 21. 5 points along with 5.4 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.5 blocks and 2.2 steals during the Tournament — has produced one double-double and scored at least 16 points in each of his last four appearances. He leads the team in scoring, rebounding, and assists this season. Davide Moretti and Matt Mooney, who are the only other Red Raiders to average double-figures this season, have tallied 48 and 47 points during Tournament play.
Michigan State has been one of the most successful programs in college basketball since coach Tom Izzo took over the reins prior to the 1995-96 campaign. The Spartans are in the Final Four for the eighth time under Izzo. However, MSU has reached the national championship game just twice with the last occasion occurring in 2009.
Meanwhile, Texas Tech is making its first-ever Final Four appearance. In fact, prior to these last two seasons, the Red Raiders have never made it to the Elite Eight and only reached the Sweet 16 four other times in school history.
What the Spartans must do to defeat the Red Raiders.
1. Stay out of foul trouble.
2. Do not turn the ball over.
3. Keep the Red Raiders off the offensive glass.
4. Prevent quality 3-point looks by Davide Moretti and Matt Mooney.
5. Knockdown perimeter shots.
6. Get Nick Ward or Aaron Henry to step up.
This should be a very entertaining game and could come down to one or two possessions at the end of the game. There are a couple of intriguing individual matchups to keep an eye on with the first one being Cassius Winston versus Jarrett Culver. Another matchup to pay attention to is Matt McQuaid vs. Matt Mooney.
Also, the Xavier Tillman-Tariq Owens dual inside could be pivotal as both players have played at a high level in the NCAA Tournament.