The Michigan State Spartans were the sixth overall seed in this year’s NCAA Tournament, but they weren’t exactly rewarded with a favorable draw.
The Spartans were placed in the same region as Duke, the top overall seed in the entire field, despite winning the Big Ten Tournament and a share of the regular season title. That did not sit well with coach Tom Izzo, who felt that the selection committee had disrespected his team.
Tom Izzo said he doesn't think MSU got what it deserved in NCAA draw and doesn't think the committee considers the Big Ten final result, but wanted to keep the focus on today's game
— Kyle Austin (@kylebaustin) March 17, 2019
There were a number of reasons that many people even outside of East Lansing thought the Spartans got a raw deal from the committee. It appears that they felt Michigan State would be better rewarded with the East region, which is seen as closer to home, as opposed to putting them out west in Gonzaga’s regional. That, however, would have afforded them a more forgiving draw in terms of the teams they’d have had to face.
