March Madness pick is in

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Watch Michigan State basketball’s annual NCAA tournament dunk-a-thon

Michigan State basketball closed its open practice at Rocket Arena in Cleveland on Friday, March 20, 2025, like every NCAA tournament: with dunks.

The Spartans, led by coach Tom Izzo and a blend of experienced transfers and young talent, face Bryant in the first round.Newcomers like Frankie Fidler and Szymon Zapala bring valuable NCAA tournament experience to a team aiming for a deep run.MSU’s success hinges on its ability to leverage its depth, push the pace, and exploit mismatches against Bryant’s undersized frontcourt.

CLEVELAND — Tom Izzo’s NCAA tournament streak is five years older than Frankie Fidler and three years older than Szymon Zapala.

Process that longevity and consistency for a second.

It’s so old — this year is the 27th straight, dating back to 1998 — that it includes two Final Four appearances and the 2000 national title featuring Jason Richardson as well as an NCAA appearance featuring the former Michigan State basketball star’s son: Jase is now pursuing those goals as the Spartans’ current marquee freshman.

“This is kind of the whole reason I came to Michigan State, to be able to play in the postseason,” Fidler said Thursday. “So, yeah, it’s great feeling.”

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The arrival of the three newcomers to Izzo’s program — two transfers and a legacy recruit — helped bring MSU its first Big Ten regular-season title since 2020 this season. And Izzo and his players hope it ultimately will result in the Spartans’ first Final Four appearance since 2019 as they chase Izzo’s second title.

The road to San Antonio begins Friday night at Rocket Arena, where No. 2 seed MSU (27-6) faces No. 15 seed Bryant (23-11) in the first round of the South region. Tipoff is around 10 p.m. (TBS).

“It’s why you work, why you play,” Izzo said Thursday. “You don’t work to win games. You work to…

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Source link : https://www.freep.com/story/sports/college/michigan-state/spartans/2025/03/21/michigan-state-basketball-bryant-ncaa-tournament-cleveland-score-pick-prediction/82578325007/

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Publish date : 2025-03-21 10:09:00

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