When the buzzer sounded, players and coaches rushed the court knowing they introduced MTSU basketball not only to Michigan State, but the entire basketball world. Even as the Spartans faced an early 15-2 deficit and eventually came back within a point, the Blue Raiders kept scoring and out-working Michigan State on the glass for key offensive rebounds. So we’re as familiar with them as we are any team we’ll play in terms of what they do.
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The individual awards have already started to mount – Big Ten player of the year and national player of the year, according to USA Today and Sports Illustrated – and the majors are still to come. They won each of the first eight by an average of 24 points.
Syracuse’s Michael Gbinije celebrates after hitting a 3-point shot during the first half in a first-round men’s college basketball game against Dayton in the NCAA tournament, Friday, March 18, 2016, in St. Louis. The last time it happened was 2013, when Georgetown lost to Florida Gulf Coast.
The Blue Raiders will try to do the same against No. 10 seed Syracuse on Sunday.
Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo admitted that they did not play good defense but credited Middle Tennessee for their offense. “We took down Goliath”.
Its a matchup of two teams who were not on the guest list for the NCAA’s 2nd round with the victor needing to extend its tuxedo rental for another week of dancing on the national stage. 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 impressive postseason pedigree.
In his post, Valentine said he has “no regrets” for everything he gave the program. And it’s why – and he knows this – that’s why what I said was right. Green Bay (23-13) was making its first tournament appearance in 20 years.
“If [MTSU] were bad I’d be saying that, too”, he said. “I didn’t know what to expect”, Raymond said. “It’s all about the team that you’re playing, not the number in front of it”, said Wichita State coach Gregg Marshall, whose team may as well be the Angels of Death for as many higher seeds as the Shockers have taken down. So it’s probably no surprise the Spartans raced out to a 15-2 lead at the under 16 minute timeout. “That’s a tribute to the guys for getting themselves ready”, Altman said. But that changed Friday via a 70-56 win over West Virginia in which Thomas Walkup (and his beard) scored 33 points. But shot-blocking was just one highlight of an Oklahoma defensive effort that also held Purdue to just 28 percent shooting. That’s the same building where the Warriors’ Stephen Curry hit a dramatic game-winner in overtime against the Thunder last month. Instead, brackets across the nation were busted as Middle Tennessee (25-9) played a ideal game against the Spartans to pull off the surprising victory.
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By the time victory became certain for the No. 15 seed Blue Raiders, dozens of fans at the Student Union Building stood up and roared every time the team made a basket and each time MTSU stopped the second-seeded Spartans.
