Ah, Detroit in March

       If you have tickets to the Midwest Regional in Detroit, don't sell them yet. There's still a very real chance that MSU could end up there.

     That's the jist of a story I did for Sunday's paper and online edition, advancing the Ohio State game. Basically, there are a number of ways MSU could get there -- winning out and being rewarded; faltering, dropping and getting put in the Midwest as a 7 seed or something;  lucking into it because, for whatever reason, the bracket fits best with MSU there instead of one of the other Big Ten teams (a scenario explored in more detail in the story).
    The rules to remember:
    * The top three seeded teams in any league can't be in the same region.
    * Teams in the same league can't meet until at least the Elite Eight.
    That's really it. The idea that it would be "unfair" for a higher seeded team to have to play MSU in Detroit is meaningless. Texas A&M was a 3 seed in San Antonio last year, for a recent example.
    The best thing MSU could do is win out, starting today, including a win over Wisconsin in the Big Ten Tournament semis. It's still possible the Spartans could be the highest-seeded team, but Wisconsin is the big obstacle. A 28-6 MSU team that just beat Wisconsin and won six straight games including the Big Ten tourney, vs. a 27-5 Wisconsin team that won the Big Ten regular season, with very similar computer numbers, would be a close call.
    But remember this: The highest-seeded Big Ten team isn't guaranteed Detroit. That would be the most logical way to do it, but things may not fit that way. It might fit better with the second- or third-seeded team. So MSU could win out, leapfrog Wisconsin -- and then both could watch Indiana get Detroit.
    Finally, I talked to bracket guru Jerry Palm for the story and he shot down two popular misconceptions. First, the idea that everything is set before the Big Ten tourney final. Although I think that has been the case in some years, in other years the committee will have an "either/or" situation set up. For example, the entire bracket is set except for these two spots. The winner gets a No. 3 seed in the Midwest, the loser a No. 4 seed in the East, or whatever. When it can work that way (only when the teams in the final game have very similar profiles), the committee does it.
    Also, Palm scoffed at the idea that the NCAA would have any extra interest in MSU being in Detroit because of ticket sales. The fact is, ticket sales already have gone well, and it's not like Wisconsin wouldn't pack the place.
    “Any Big Ten team would sell out Detroit," Palm said. "Notre Dame and Louisville would both sell out Detroit. They don’t even need a Big Ten team.”
    But there will almost certainly be one there. Regardless of how the next week plays out on the court, it should not be too shocking if MSU is that team -- but don't forget, you still have to win two NCAA games to actually get to Detroit.

Comments

[spartandawgs]

It would be almost unbelieveable to see this team a 3 seed in Detroit to me that is still 3 wins away but possible. I would think we would be the favorite againist any 2 seed and maybe 1 seed in the sweet 16 and elite 8 in Detroit especially if we end up closing the year out 6-0 and 8-2 in the last ten with only losses at Indy and Wisky. GO STATE!!! lets still take this one game at a time and get a "W" tomorrow at OSU!!!

[CSpartan]

If not for the losses at Penn State and Iowa, this conversation would definitely make the big 10 tournament more significant. Without those losses, MSU would be ranked just behind Wisconsin and tied for 2nd place in the big 10. The committee would definitely be able to reward either MSU or Wiscy with that Midwest seed, depending on performance in the b10 tourny. MSU needs to take the cake and Wiscy needs to crumble for the tables to turn at this point. Still, looking at the "body of work" this team has put together, I feel they are better than their record in the month of February. Two thirds of their losses occured in the last ten games played but were on hostile courts with seemingly hostile officiating. (And it is beginning to seem like some sort of conspiracy that as long as I can remember, nobody has ever been able to accuse MSU of having the easy path to the big ten title, and naturally, it has stayed just out of reach.) Turnovers have improved, chemistry seems to be improved, post play has definitely improved, and defense has been pretty solid. This team is playing where they need to be, their record has just taken a few hits in conference. In my totally biased opinion, this team is ready for a run. Get them through a couple of games in the b10 tournament and onto a truly level playing field and I guarantee you nobody will be happy to find themselves in the same region as MSU, no matter what their seed. In the big scheme of things, you have to be able to beat any team in the big dance to truly be the champion anyways, and I think that this team has shown the ability to play with anyone in the country at different times. Looking forward to seeing what these guys have left in the tank...

GO STATE!!!

[Webber's Timeout (aka Cmoney)]

I think the only way we have a chance for a 3 or 4 seed in DTW is if we win out—that would be viewed as a huge reward…. Even then I think it’s a long shot for the committee to do that.

Last year when A&M had that situation, a ton of people and media where shocked and I think the committee ties to stay away from all that at all cost (unless you are 1seed). I see us as a 4 or 5 seed in the East….but the last thing we want is to go out West.

Ahhh, that said, we have a huge game today and I don’t think we should get ahead of ourselves—I mean it’s their senior night, a game to potentially get OSU in the Dance and I think OSU is much better than their record shows—SO, I think we have a 30% chance of winning this game-sorry but that’s MHO…and I would rather have us lose this game than the one in the BT tourney (not that we would, but, ya know)…. Gosh, I love this time of year!

Good luck dudez!

[xwing]

regardless of where they end up playing the more games they win they higher they will get seeded and the better position they will be in. if they end up a number 2 or three seed they will have a good shot at least making it to the sweet 16 without too much trouble.

[Chuck from St.Johns]

GO SPARTANS!!!!!!

BEAT OSU!!!!!

[Ben Green]

I agree with Chuck.
The only thing that matters today is the Ohio State game.

GO GREEN!!!

[nadbadman]

i'm unable to watch but am listening on the radio...sounds good but how do they look, can anyone let me know...go green

[nadbadman]

turnover city it sounds like

[nadbadman]

look at allen go...yeeeesssss

[matt boston]

Is any television station picking up this game? I'm in Boston and would like to catch the second half if possible.

[Bill]

It is on the Big Ten Network.

[Spartan in St Augustine]

IOW, NOBODY is watching

[SpartyOn]

Damn you, daylight savings time... i just missed the first half!!!

[db]

Too bad you missed the first half because they're imploding right now. OSU up by 3 . . . what happens?

[spartaninboston]

Lets hope MSU comes out punch Friday. I would've prefered momentum going in but it is hard to beat a team three times in one season. So hopefully we'll win the rubber match this Friday. They definitely imploded in the last 5 minutes. Were we that bad or were the refs calling it more for OSU?

[spartaninboston]

Hey Matt Boston, how long you lived here? I moved here in April. I was watching the gamecast on Yahoo...

[spartaninboston]

We need to blow OSU out Friday....

[matt boston]

Spartaninboston, i've lived here almost 4 years. Where do you live?

[spartaninboston]

Quincy. And I don't have the B10 Network which sucks come Spartan basketball time. I'm going to Indy this coming weekend to hopefully see MSU win Friday and hopefully get to Sunday.

[bradford]

we didnt play well the last 10 minutes but a lot of that might have had something to do with being called for touch fouls that were not called in the first half.

not at all surprising. someone on here even called it after the ohio state-purdue game. at least it doesnt really cost msu anything.

i'd rather not see tightly called games, but its not as bad as being totally inconsistent. the game was officiated totally differently in the second half

[Dr.J]

I can't see the game (no BTN). What was up with the fouls and free throws? Were they legit this time? Did MSU foul more than twice as much and did OSU deserve three times the number of free throws?

[Matthew]

Kinda blows your "play in Detroit" theory when they get outscored by a mediocre-at-best Buckeye team by 17 in the second half! Kind of hard to play in Detroit when it takes two wins to get there and we can't even beat the fifth-best team in the Big Ten now isn't it?

[db]

They made a lot of unforced turnovers the second half, same old stuff. OSU really stepped up their defense and we just didn't know what to do with it. Yeah, the refs did start calling a lot tighter the second half and we didn't adjust. Had too many times we forced shots with the clock under 10 seconds. Just pitiful AGAIN! To be up by 12 and lose this way . . . just don't get it!

[spartaninboston]

Matthew, lets hope they show up on a neutral court Friday. Officiating should be more consistent at least against OSU.

[rook34]

Argh. You can rationalize this by saying that OSU needed this game, the officials were horrendous (both are correct) but it still stings to lose a game we had a 12 point lead in. We absolutely could not find the basket when we needed to.

We've got a week to get ready for these guys again. Hopefully the officials get ready too.