SPARTANS

'Ecstatic' Michigan State encounters Miami

Matt Charboneau
The Detroit News

East Lansing —When the teams finally started popping up on the TV screen Sunday evening, there was some restlessness inside the player’s lounge at Michigan State.

The Spartans believed they were an NCAA Tournament team, but with a 19-14 record and only a handful of notable victories, there was at least some apprehension.

That all went away, however, when it was revealed Michigan State would be the No. 9 seed in the Midwest Region taking on No. 8 Miami (Fla.) on Friday in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It extended Michigan State’s NCAA Tournament streak to 20 straight seasons, the third-longest active streak in the nation.

“I’d be lying if I didn’t tell you I wasn’t ecstatic to get in,” Michigan State coach Tom Izzo said. “I told my players that everyone thinks it’s my time of year when it really is the program’s time of year. The program has done this year after year after year with different players and that was important.

PRINTABLE NCAA TOURNAMENT BRACKET

“I told the players that I appreciated the fact that we pushed and pulled them a lot this year. We went through a lot and they could have thrown in the towel a few times but they hung in there. I still think we’re playing some of our better basketball. … I think we’re tournament ready.”

Keeping the streak alive had been hanging over the Spartans’ heads for the better part of the last two months. And for a team that relies heavily on freshmen, the pressure seemed to show at times as consistency was hard to come by.

However, Michigan State won six of eight at one point before losing two tight games in the final week of the regular season. It cruised to a win over Penn State in the Big Ten tournament before getting ousted by Minnesota on a day the Spartans couldn’t make a shot.

That led to a little bit of anxiousness but not enough to be nervous on Sunday night.

“No sir, I was not nervous,” junior Lourawls Nairn said.

But when the bracket was revealed, that didn’t stop the celebration.

Detroit News NCAA predictions: Michigan State

“It’s always exciting,” senior Alvin Ellis said. “All the younger guys were really excited and we were excited to keep the streak alive. Now we have got work to do, so we couldn’t get that excited. But yeah, we cheered.”

It’s the last run for Ellis, who has done just about everything in March. As a freshman, he reached the regional finals in 2014 before being a part of the 2015 Final Four team that lost to Duke in the national semifinals. And last year he was there when the second-seeded Spartans were ousted in the first round by Middle Tennessee State.

Now he’s looking for one last shot and was glad the tournament streak didn’t end on his watch.

“It means a lot,” Ellis said. “Just coming from this program where we’re known for the streak and historic things like that. It means a lot to us, especially me since I’ve been a part of a few and wanted to keep it alive.”

As big as it was for Ellis and Nairn, the only two players left from the Final Four team, getting in was just as important to those freshmen.

“It was real important, mainly for Coach Izz,” Miles Bridges said. “He’s put in a lot of work, but he’s not out there playing so we got to do what we need to do to win.”

That would include Bridges playing like the Big Ten Freshman of the Year as well as plenty of help from his classmates – Nick Ward, Cassius Winston and Joshua Langford. They, along with the rest of the team, are ready for one last shot at a run.

“I’m really excited,” Bridges said. “I just want to see what this team can do once we get out there. We’re gonna be under the big lights so we got to play and do the little things to win.”

If they do so against Miami (21-11) it will set up a likely matchup with top-seeded Kansas. But that wouldn’t come until Sunday and Izzo is happy for the extra time to focus on his team.

They’ll prepare heavily on Miami, Izzo said, but they’ll have an eye to Kansas, as well, keeping the same weekend approach they’ve always taken. And if the youngsters grow up quickly, there’s no telling what can happen.

“In general — I really, really mean this  — I’m proud of this team for what they accomplished,” Izzo said. “It won’t be the biggest accomplishment we’ve had and it will not go down by many fans as a real accomplishment … but I think we’re ready to try and make a run and it’s that time of year. So, we’ll see what happens.”

mcharboneau@detroitnews.com

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No. 9 Michigan State vs. No. 8 Miami (Fla.)

What: First-round game in NCAA Tournament.

When: Friday, 9:20 p.m.

Where: BOK Center, Tulsa, Okla.

TV / radio: TNT / WJR 760

Records: Michigan State 19-14, Miami 21-11

Tickets: msuspartans.com

All about Miami (Fla.)

Nickname: Hurricanes

Conference: Atlantic Coast

Record: 21-11, 10-8 ACC

Coach: Jim Larranaga, sixth season

RPI: 42

How they got in: At-large

Five Miami facts

This is the just the third appearance in the NCAA Tournament for the Hurricanes in the last nine seasons. Miami lost in the Sweet 16 last season, the same point it lost in its previous appearance in 2013.

The Hurricanes have struggled down the stretch, losing three of their last four games. They lost their final two regular-season games before beating Syracuse in the ACC tournament. They were knocked out the next day by North Carolina.

Senior guard Davon Reed averages 15 points a game to lead the Hurricanes, which have three players averaging double-figures. Junior guard Ja’Quan Newton scores 13.4 points a game while freshman guard Bruce Brown averages 11.9.

Michigan State and Miami last met in the Big Ten-ACC Challenge in November 2012. Miami wan that game at home, 67-59. That’s the only time the teams have played.

Tom Izzo and Michigan State are familiar with Miami coach Jim Larranaga. He was the coach at George Mason in 2006, when the sixth-seeded Spartans were upset by No. 11 George Mason, which went all the way to the Final Four.