BANKERS LIFE FIELDHOUSE -- INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANAFRIDAY, MARCH 9TH, 2012, 12:00 PM EST
TV: ESPN
ONLINE RADIO FEED: Spartan Sports Network
The season ended roughly, but Michigan State earned the top seed and will face an Iowa team that held off an Illini team that is probably thankful their regular season is now over. If you recall Michigan State beat Iowa 95-61 in a game where MSU went 10-18 from behind the arc, scored numerous fast break points, and caused Fran McCaffery to turn a chair into an auction item that sold for thousands of dollars.
So how nervous should MSU be? I'll go with somewhat. Matt Gatens has been on fire the past few games, and that's where most of my concern lies -- if he gets hot from three, most likely Iowa's going to be in this game no matter what MSU does. Without Branden Dawson the defense will suffer, but a silver lining is that with Brandon Wood and Brandan Kearney taking most of Dawson's minutes, the three point shooting will improve, which could be a boon against zone defenses now and in the future.
Sidenote -- according to this LSJ article, I'll be in DTW watching this game in a bar before heading out to Phoenix this weekend. If you are an MSU fan and also leaving from DTW, the first drink's on me.
This is the game thread. You know what to do -- no slurs, no links to illegal game streams, and be cool to one another. Enjoy the game everyone.
GO GREEN, GO WHITE, BEAT IOWA.