Giddy Potts thought it might come later, once he returned to the team hotel and flipped on the TV. He’s seen Michigan State play 10 times.
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It happened just a day after the No. 2 Spartans were upset and eliminated by the No. 15 Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders.
No. 10 VCU 75, No. 7 Oregon State 67: In Oklahoma City, JeQuan Lewis had 21 points, eight assists and seven rebounds as Virginia Commonwealth won its first NCAA Tournament game since 2013.
“I said, ‘Guys, if you walk into Nashville Park outside to play a pick-up game and their guys showed up and we showed up and nobody had their colors on and nobody knew who anybody was, nobody ever went into a pick-up game thinking you’re going to lose, ‘” the Middle Tennessee head coach said on CBS Sports Radio’s Moose & Maggie Show. “We played our (butts) off today”.
MSU became the eighth No. 2 team to be upset by a No. 15 in tournament history.
“I’ll be honest with you, in my wildest dreams I didn’t think they’d hit some of the shots they hit”, Michigan State coach Tom Izzo said.
In this one, both teams made 11 3-pointers and shot just under 56 percent from the field overall. Part of it had to do with the experience of Denzel Valentine and the seniors, and part of it had to do with Izzo’s postseason pedigree.
“Our starting time (is later), which I gives us a little more time”, Davis said.
“I was trying to reset our team with about 20 seconds (left), just talking to them on the bench”, Davis said.
Matt Costello matched a career-best with 22 points for the Spartans, but it wasn’t enough to offset Valentine’s miserable afternoon.
Michigan State twice had chances to tie the game after that, but Valentine missed an open three from the top of the key, and Bryn Forbes missed another.
The Blue Raiders shot 8-of-12 from long range in the first half to help their cause, but were also able to battle down low, outrebounding the Spartans 13-12.
The Blue Raiders kept the game close until the Seminoles went on an 11-4 run late in the third quarter.
Not that they haven’t made a statement before: They beat Kentucky in the first round in 1982.
This is a game during which the Spartans never had a lead.
Middle Tennessee is playing in the NCAAs for the ninth time in 11 seasons after winning the Conference USA Tournament. Northern Iowa passed the ball in under its basket after Isaiah Taylor tied the game on a layup for Texas (20-13) with 2.7 seconds to play.
Of all the madness to come from the huge upsets, things are looking up for the D.C.-area teams in the tournament.
“They’re a great team”, Richardson said.
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TRANSFER U: The Blue Raiders’ roster includes six junior college players and two transfers from four-year schools in Jaqawn Raymond (North Carolina State) and Jacorey Williams (Arkansas). He averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds and 7.8 assists this season making him one of two favorites for national player of the year awards such as the John Wooden Award and the Oscar Robertson Trophy presented by the U.S. Basketball Writer’s Association. No. 3 Texas A&M got an early scare from No. 14 Green Bay, but eventually pulled away for the convincing win.
