Michigan State Men’s Basketball 2019 NCAA Tournament Capsule

March 10, 2019 · CSM Staff
 

Michigan State Spartans

Big Ten (28-6, 16-4)

 
Despite a rash of injuries hampering Michigan State, they still finished with a share of the Big Ten regular season title. Outside of a three game losing streak in late January and early February against Purdue, Indiana and Illinois, this has been one of the most consistent teams in the country.
 
Big Wins: 1/8 Purdue (77-59), 2/12 at Wisconsin (67-59), 2/24 at Michigan (77-70)
Bad Losses: 11/27 at Louisville (78-82), 2/2 Indiana (75-79), 2/5 at Illinois (74-79)
Coach: Tom Izzo
 
Why They Can Surprise:
Coach Tom Izzo knows how to get the most out of his team during the NCAA Tournament. The Spartans share the ball extremely well and, as usual, they are one of the best rebounding teams in the country. Cassius Winston is one of the top passers in the country, dishing out 7.7 assists per game. He also hits over 40 percent of his attempts from beyond the arc and leads the team with 18.9 points per game. Winston can do it all and can carry this team a long way. Xavier Tillman and Kenny Goins are the team’s top two rebounders. Tillman has had a superb sophomore season, averaging 9.5 points and 7.2 rebounds. Goins, an experienced senior, adds 8.2 points and 8.9 rebounds.
 
Why They Can Disappoint:
When Nick Ward is healthy, the Spartans are even more dominate on the glass. The 6-9 junior missed the last five regular season games with a hand injury and did not really get much of a chance to get back into the full swing of things during the Big Ten Tournament either. The Spartans and Coach Izzo deserve a lot of credit for getting production out of Henry, Goins, Xavier Tillman and Gabe Brown in the frontcourt, but they will need Ward playing his best if they are going to reach the Final Four.
 
Probable Starters:
Cassius Winston, Junior, Guard, 18.9 ppg, 7.7 apg
Matt McQuaid, Senior, Guard, 9.9 ppg, 2.2 apg
Aaron Henry, Freshman, Forward, 5.4 ppg, 3.7 rpg
Kenny Goins, Senior, Forward, 8.3 ppg, 8.9 rpg, 1.3 bpg
Nick Ward, Junior, Forward, 14.1 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 1.3 bpg
 
Key Role Players:
Xavier Tillman, Sophomore, Forward, 9.5 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 1.8 bpg
Gabe Brown, Freshman, Forward, 2.0 ppg, 1.0 rpg
 
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 79.7 (38th in nation, 1st in conference)
Scoring Defense: 65.9 (45, 6)
Field-Goal Percentage: 48.9 (14, 1)
Field-Goal Defense: 37.6 (4, 1)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 8.3 (116, 2)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 38.1 (29, 1)
Free-Throw Percentage: 74.5 (42, 1)
Rebound Margin: 9.0 (4, 1)
Assists Per Game: 19.1 (3, 1)
Turnovers Per Game: 13.0 (176, 12)
 
Recent Postseason Appearances:
 
2018 NCAA Round of 64 win over Bucknell
2018 NCAA Round of 32 loss to Syracuse
2017 NCAA Round of 64 win over Miami (FL)
2017 NCAA Round of 32 loss to Kansas
2016 NCAA Round of 64 loss to Middle Tennessee State
2015 NCAA Round of 64 win over Georgia
2015 NCAA Round of 32 win over Virginia
2015 NCAA Regional Semifinal win over Oklahoma
2015 NCAA Regional Final win over Louisville
2015 NCAA National Semifinal loss to Duke
2014 NCAA Round of 64 win over Delaware
2014 NCAA Round of 32 win over Harvard
2014 NCAA Regional Semifinal win over Virginia
2014 NCAA Regional Final loss to Connecticut
2013 NCAA Round of 64 win over Valparaiso
2013 NCAA Round of 32 win over Memphis
2013 NCAA Regional Semifinal loss to Duke
2012 NCAA Round of 64 win over Long Island
2012 NCAA Round of 32 win over St. Louis
2012 NCAA Regional Semifinal loss to Louisville
2011 NCAA Round of 64 loss to UCLA
2010 NCAA Round of 64 win over New Mexico State
2010 NCAA Round of 32 win over Maryland
2010 NCAA Regional Semifinal win over Northern Iowa
2010 NCAA Regional Final win over Tennessee
2010 NCAA National Semifinal loss to Butler
2009 NCAA Round of 64 win over Robert Morris
2009 NCAA Round of 32 win over USC
2009 NCAA Regional Semifinal win over Kansas
2009 NCAA Regional Final win over Louisville
2009 NCAA National Semifinal win over Connecticut
2009 NCAA National Final loss to North Carolina
2008 NCAA Round of 64 win over Temple
2008 NCAA Round of 32 win over Pittsburgh
2008 NCAA Regional Semifinal loss to Memphis
2007 NCAA Round of 64 win over Marquette
2007 NCAA Round of 32 loss to North Carolina
 
*all team stats through 3/10