March Madness 2021: 5 biggest winners from Selection Sunday seeds

Michigan State Spartans

The East Region was the last to be announced on Selection Sunday and after several mid-majors got picked beforehand, there were four high-profile programs left to hear their names. It was UCLA, Maryland, Michigan State, and Louisville and among this four, the Spartans have had the roughest time all season long. And considering that they just lost to Maryland in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament, there was a second where I thought they may have been left out.

Instead, Michigan State kept its streak of 23 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances alive with a spot in the First Four, taking on UCLA. The Bruins have lost four straight games and don’t have leading scorer Chris Smith or key forward Jalen Hill. The Spartans have been up and down but do have several wins over top-10 teams, including one over Michigan that ultimately cashed their ticket to get here.

And based on where they’re placed, head coach Tom Izzo could be thinking of another Sweet 16 run. Assuming they can get past UCLA, they’ll take on a No. 6 seed in BYU. The Cougars are coming off giving Gonzaga its toughest test of the season so far but have only played just one power conference team this entire season, which was a 30-point blowout loss to USC. The Spartans have the athletes and defense to frustrate the Cougars and pull off the “upset”.

And even the Texas Longhorns can be vulnerable as well. They did win the Big 12 Tournament but this team at times can be volatile, both on the court and in team huddles as well. Their style of play matches up with Michigan State so this would be a close game for most of 40 minutes.

We’ve seen a team from the “First Four” make a run each season, winning multiple games. Of the four (Drake, Wichita State, UCLA), the Spartans have the best talent and coaching to succeed in this tournament. They just have to put it together for a full 40 minutes consistently.